NGE : These Scars We Bear
by Tezza1502
Summary: A tale of love, WAFF, and discovery set in the first days after EoE. S x A. Swearing, adult themes & violence in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

By: TEZZA1502

Summary: The first few days after EoE.

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of N.G.E., GAINAX and Anno does.

RATING: MA+ (for language and adult themes)

denotes thoughts

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DAY 1

"How disgusting"

Shinji looked around at this new world he had decided to return to with an equal mixture of fear and wonder. His eyes took in the bloody smear across the sky, the LCL that replaced the water. Finally, he noticed the giants spread around him in a loose circle, like a nightmarish Stonehenge, fully awakening in him the memories of just what he had lost and gained in the last few days.

After sitting there for a while, trying vainly to order his thoughts and make some sense of it all, he decided to put it all aside for the time being and focus on the other figure on the beach with him. Other than to touch his cheek and utter those two words, Asuka had not moved at all. This was surprising in itself, as after his last actions he expected at the very least to be verbally abused in three languages. But there she was, just staring off into the sky as if lost in her own memories. The idea of trying to engage her in a conversation briefly crossed his mind, but he decided against it. Better to wait until we have something to discuss Shinji decided. Besides, I already know how well she would respond to an apology.

After a time, he came to a decision. "Asuka I. . . I'm going for a walk around. To look for shelter and maybe see. . . see if there. . . if anyone else is alive. If I find any food, I'll bring you back some, okay?" Hearing no response and, truth to be told, not quite daring to look her in the eye just yet, Shinji stood up, brushed himself off and looked around again. Picking a direction, he started walking.

"I won't be gone long. I promise." He threw over his shoulder as he started to head for some buildings leaning at an alarming angle further down the shoreline.

As he walked, Shinji tried again to digest all that had transpired. I killed Kaoru. And then Misato was. . . shot, trying to get me to my EVA. So I guess she's dead now as well. The rest of the EVA series showed up and ATE Unit-2. So, I failed Asuka again! She should be dead but she's not. Why? How did she get a second chance? Did I do that? Drag her out of. . . wherever and back to this world with me? Does she hate me for it? Was she happier there? Was she with her mother? I heard her say something about that during the battle. Was her mother inside her EVA, just like mine? And Rei? and Kaoru? And my mother? Was this a part of my fathers plan, or did something go wrong. At that thought, Shinji gave himself a weary smile, and then slapped his forehead with his palm. "Yes, I think it can be safely said that something went pretty far fucking wrong with the Commanders scenario!" Still smiling slightly, he started walking again, falling back into his thoughts. Soon enough, he reached a line of buildings, most of which were no more than rubble. Others looked like a good sneeze would knock them over. Amongst all this, Shinji spotted a small general store that he recognised.

"My god, how much of a hole did we make this time?" He said in awe as he re-oriented himself.

Getting over his shock, he gingerly made his in through the shattered front window and started taking stock of what would be useful. Spying some bottled water down the back, he drained one completely before putting two more into a basket, along with some other items of food and two baseball caps. As he put one on, he briefly considered how to pay for the things he was taking, but sadly realised that there may be no one left to give the money to.

The walk back was all to brief for what was undoubtedly waiting for him. Soon, Asuka's form was in sight and in much the same position as how he had left her. As he got closer, he noticed she was sitting up and facing in his direction, her bandaged arm cradled in her lap. To his surprise, Shinji thought he saw the briefest flash of worry then relief dance across her face. But as he tried to focus his eyes there the, by now, all to familiar expression of weary contempt had settled back onto her features as if they had never left.

"Where have you been, Third Child! Leaving a wounded, defenceless woman out here all alone. What if something had happened to me? Did you care enough to think about that! Or were you hoping someone would get me! Do you hate me that much! What's in the basket?" Asuka's verbal barrage ended abruptly on a curious note.

It's as bad as I expected it would be. Shinji thought as he braced himself. Closing his eyes and counting off fingers, he answered her in a voice that only wavered slightly:

"1. I went to find some food and shelter. I wasn't gone that long.

2. I'm not even sure there is anyone left on the planet, much less Tokyo-3.

3. I've never hated you, and

4. I brought back some water and some food you like."

Opening his eyes and placing the basket in front of her, he noticed the shocked look on her face.

He didn't apologise. He actually answered me back. Who is this impostor and where is my. . . the real Shinji?

Wondering at the thoughtful expression that was settling on Asuka's face, he continued. "I found a place where we can stay for tonight on my way back. It's close to where I got this food so when we are settled I'll go back and get us something for dinner. Oh, and I got you this to keep the sun off."

Offering her the other baseball cap, Shinji settled on his haunches in front of her to reach into the basket for one of the water bottles. As he opened it and drank some, Asuka started talking.

"That's all well and good Third Child, but how am I supposed to get there? I AM wounded, you know." She said as she rummaged through the basket for something to eat. Spotting a favoured snack, she tore into it and was halfway through it before she stopped and looked at the wrapping in a confused way. "How did you-"

"Know you liked them? I've been doing all our shopping since I moved in with Misato. You told me to get them once and I just. . . remembered."

As she slowly started eating again, Shinji enquired lightly, "So, can you walk?"

"What!"

"Can you walk. The place I found is only about twenty minutes up the shoreline."

"no" Asuka whispered.

"Pardon?"

"NO!" She screamed at him. Shinji's battle reflexes kicked in at this point and he dove for cover behind some nearby debris.

"I-CAN'T-WALK! The Great Asuka Langley Sohryu is unable to move under her own power. SATISIFIED!"

"Umm, okay." Shinji warily came out from behind his hiding place and continued his line of questioning. "So. . . are you paralysed or something? Were you hurt coming back? What's wrong?"

"I-don't-know!" She said through gritted teeth, all but spitting the words out. "I tried to walk before but I am too weak to do so at the moment. Having your EVA ripped apart and eaten while you are still in it will tend to knock the stuffing out of you, apparently." She ended sarcastically.

"Umm, okay." He said tentatively, knowing his next suggestion would go down like a lead balloon. "Well then, how do you feel about me carrying you?"

"You PERVERT! I'm back from the dead for ten minutes and your already trying to get your filthy paws on my beautiful body, you HENTAI!" She fumed as she threw the basket and anything else nearby that was empty at Shinji's head. Fortunately, for him, she was still too weak to put any force behind her throwing.

"Asuka, think about it. Most of the ground is either rubble or sand so I can't push or pull anything with you on it. It would be to rough. This way, you can be inside and on a soft bed within an hour at most. Please, think about it." He pleaded while easily avoiding the erratically launched objects in his direction.

Asuka soon gave up and fell to fuming and pouting as she turned over his suggestion in her mind. After a few minutes, she turned to him and, with a look of faint distaste, agreed with the proviso that he be very careful where he puts his hands.

"Remember Third Child, anything inappropriate happens and I will be well within striking distance."

"Don't worry, I know how dangerous you can be." Shinji said. And I have the bruises to prove it. He continued thinking.

With a look that said 'and don't you forget it', Asuka put the baseball cap on and pulled it down low on her face. She then bent her knees, raised her undamaged, left arm and waited. Kneeling at her side, Shinji put his left arm under her knees and his right arm almost around her waist. Waiting until she encircled his neck with her good arm, he lifted her up in one smooth motion and with only the smallest of grunts. Not small enough.

"What was that? Are you saying I'm too heavy for you? I'll have you know there isn't a gram of fat on me anywhere. You're just too weak to carry me. HEY, stop that." Asuka squealed that last as Shinji shifted her weight in his arms for a more secure grip.

"Is your right arm comfortable. Good. Hang on." Turning to the right direction, he started walking towards the rooms he had spotted on his previous trip, doing his best to block out the constant stream of complaints directed his way and concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.

Asuka soon wound down and fell into introspection. Why am I so weak, damnit! The Third Child came back okay, so why not me? I thought if you came back you were reborn or something. So why do I still have those injuries from that damn lance? Or do I? Hmmmm. . . My arm was split in two, I remember that much. She shudders at the memory. But it doesn't feel that way. My fingers move normally and there is no pain for an injury that's only supposed to be a few hours old. I can also feel something moving under the bandage over my eye. Could that mean. . . Not wanting to get her hopes up too much just yet, she leaves that thought to dangle as exhaustion overtakes her and she begins to doze lightly in Shinji's arms.

As he was concentrating on walking and providing as smooth a ride as possible, their journey was almost half over before Shinji noticed the lack of noise and focused on his passenger. To his surprise, she was sleeping with a small smile gracing her features. Wow, she really is beautiful when she relaxes. And she has a nice smile, too. It's just a pity that it is harder to get an honest one out of her than it is out of Rei. He sighed, mentally. I hope Rei made it back somehow. If Asuka could, she might too. Sighing out loud, he turned his thoughts back to more practical matters. The rest of the journey passed quietly.

Presently, they arrived at Shinji's chosen destination. It had once been a four level block of units, but at one point during the day's events, a shockwave had neatly sheared off the top two floors. On the plus side, the remaining levels were still sound, structurally speaking. In any event, it was safe, secure and in better shape than anything else in sight. Plus, it was within five minutes walk of the general store. Reaching the bottom of the stairs leading up, Shinji stopped and gently lowered Asuka on to the first step but did not let go.

"Asuka, wake up. We're here." He said as he shook her softly.

"What? 'Here' where? Let me go back to sleep."

"Asuka, I need you to be awake for a little while. I am going upstairs to find us a room."

"So? What do I need to be awake for? Tokyo-3 was abandoned even before Third Impact happened."

"Yes, but I remember hearing reports about scavengers picking through the ruins. And if we came back, others might have done the same. So I need you to be a lookout for me while I check those units." He said while pointing to what was now the top row of doors. "Please?"

"Alright. Stop pleading. I'll be your damn watchdog. Get going before the sun goes down." She said, trying to get comfortable on the concrete step. "And make sure you pick one with two bedrooms. Just because we're the last people here, doesn't mean your getting into my bed!" She shouted as an afterthought as he let her go and started up the stairs. Shinji waved in the affirmative over his shoulder.

"Damn, what has gotten into him. He used to be easier to tease than this." Asuka fumed to herself after he went out of earshot, then snorted. "Maybe THAT was Third Impact, Shinji getting a spine rammed up his ass!" Giggling at the thought of an EVA-assisted spinal insertion, Asuka settled in to wait for Shinji's return.

Upon reaching the second floor, the boy in question first looked to see if any doors were open. Seeing one at the other end, he walked towards it and cautiously peeked into a dimly lit room. I wish I'd thought to bring some sort of weapon with me, just in case was what went through his mind as he slowly went inside. As his eyes slowly adjusted, he noted in quick order that it was a single bedroom unit, it was uninhabited and that it was messier than Misato's room, if that was at all possible. Nope

Returning to the walkway, the next two doors he checked were locked but the third one opened easily.

"HURRY UP, BAKA! My butts getting sore." Came an impatient demand from downstairs.

"Your not the only one with a pain in the arse to deal with, y'know." Shinji said to himself softly as he walked into the unit. Once again, he had to wait until his eyes adapted to the soft gloom. Much better he decided as he went deeper into the apartment. Stepping into the living room, he stopped in the centre and turned on his heel in a slow circle, checking an internal list as he did so. Satisfied with what he saw, he completed the circle and walked back out, wedging the door open as he passed it.

"What took you so long."

Stepping down passed Asuka he answered absently, "Just making sure I found one with the basics. Ready for another lift?"

"Not yet. Does it have two separate bedrooms."

"Yes Asuka. And a bath. And some food in the kitchen. It has the basics. Anything it doesn't have, I will go and get tomorrow. Now, can I take you up there and get you comfortable or would you rather spend the night down here." He said in a voice that made it clear that he was leaning towards the latter option.

"Allright, already. No need for that tone of voice. Just get me up there and into Châteaux Sohryu. I'm ready to go to sleep again." Reaching out as he crouched down to pick her up, he froze as he heard a loud growl.

"What was that?" He asked as he looked around worriedly.

"That was me." Shinji turned his head back to a slightly pink Asuka.

"Why did you growl at me, Asuka?" He asked, slowly backing away.

"I didn't! It was my stomach." Another growl emanated from her mid-section, as if punctuating her statement.

Moving in warily as if expecting some part of her anatomy to detach and try and bite him, Shinji bent down to lift up a still pink Asuka.

"In that case, you had better have something to eat before you go to bed. I'll get dinner started as soon as you're comfortable."

Without a grunt this time, he picked her up and carried her up the stairs and into the apartment he had chosen.

LATER

"Not up to your usual standard Shinji, but it certainly filled up a few holes." Punctuating that statement with a small belch of contentment, Asuka re-arranged herself into a more comfortable position on the large bed she had claimed for herself as Shinji cleared away the evidence of a small but filling meal of instant noodles. Re-entering the room with a glass of water in one hand and a large pot in the other, he walked over to the side of the bed.

"Just in case." He said as he put the glass on the small table beside the bed and the pot within easy reach on the floor.

"In case of what, Third Child?"

"In case you need to. . . go. . . during the night. Or can you walk now." Slightly red and bracing himself for an explosion, he was surprised when all she said was "Thank you Shinji. That was very thoughtful."

"Um, okay. Well I'm going to lock up and go to bed myself now. Call if you need anything else." Stopping at the doorway and turning back into the room, he said quietly "Goodnight Asuka. Sweet dreams."

"You too, Shinji. And. . . thank you for everything you've done for me since we came back." She said softly as sleep claimed her.

Shinji stayed at the doorway a little longer, staring at her sleeping form and thinking to himself, she's different. Like she laid some of her demons to rest during today. I mean, she's still the same old Asuka. That sharp tongue of hers still works when she wants it to. But, she's also been nice to me today. And she said thank you.

Heading towards his own room after locking up, he continued along that line of thought. I'll have to figure out what I'm doing right and keep doing it. Tomorrow. For now, all I want to do is sleep. Crawling between the sheets and blowing out the candle near his head, Shinji got comfortable enough for slumber to overtake him with ease. What a day!

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The rest of the world was still. It was not a quiet, peaceful stillness. More of a 'Lets see how long we can hold our breath' kind of stillness. It couldn't last.

And it didn't.

As two children drifted off after what was arguably the longest day of either of their short lives, the rest of the world's population awoke from their individual part of instrumentality.

Some would come to terms with the choice they made to return.

Others would deny that they even came back by choice.

But EVERYONE that returned would wonder why he or she had the image of a young boy stuck in his or her mind.

END OF DAY ONE

NOTES: Well, there it is. Day One, in all its sad, pathetic glory. My plan is to have five days, broken up into two or three chapters per day, depending how long they run after I've converted them from longhand. You may notice the pace is a bit slow and steady. Bear with me, I'm still learning and this just seems to be the way I write (I like to read WAFFY, funny stuff and THIS is all that comes out of my pencil. Go figure.) On the plus side, I have two and a half days written and all five in my head so, barring acts of god or life, this will be completed. Touch wood. Anyway, I hope you get some enjoyment out of it. Comments and constructive criticism will be treasured, flames will be fed to my salamander, Spanky.

P.S.: MAJOR thanks goes to my soulmate for her kind words and plot bunnies when I got stuck at the odd turn of plot. I would truly be lost without her. KISS KISS

P.P.S.: Much thanks also to Joan Milligan and Incognito Girl for taking the time to read and review 'Small Choices'. BIG HUGS all round!

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Day 2, Part 1, preview: SHINJI: "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

ASUKA: "I don't know. But I want to do it anyway."

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	2. Chapter 2

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

by TEZZA1502

Rating: MA+

DISCLAIMER: N.G.E. owned by GAINAX and Anno. Not me. I'm just taking it out for a spin for a few chapters. I'll bring it back later, honest!

Notes: Sorry, sorry, sorry. The symbol I used to denote thoughts in the first chapter didn't make it through whatever filters uses for it's stories. Hopefully, you readers (both of you) figured out where and what the characters thoughts were supposed to be and it didn't detract too much from your enjoyment of the story. For this one, I'm going back to the old style of presenting such things. So, without further ado, here we go again.

thoughts ' ,'

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DAY TWO Part 1

For some people, it had been a long night.

"Report, Lt. Ibuki."

"The MAGI are still collating data, sir."

"I will accept a preliminary finding."

"Preliminary finding is that Third Impact was Initiated, but. . . "

"But what!"

"But something interrupted it, sir. Highest probability is that one of the principals involved chose not to complete the process."

"WHAT! Who?"

"The MAGI have insufficient data to be able to determine that at this time, sir. All this is. . . is just conjecture at this point. Sir."

"Dammit! All right, keep working on it. In addition, find out if we can expect another attack soon. I don't know where the J.S.S.D.F. laying siege to us disappeared to but I want us to be ready if they come back for round two."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, what shape are WE in?"

"Sir. 72 percent of NERV staff have been found to have returned at this time. Of that number, approximately 30 percent are back on duty. It seems that most of them were actually killed during the fighting and are still adjusting to the fact that they are alive again. We are organising a section by section search for more returnees, but that will take time."

"That will have to do for now. Make your priority finding out what happened to us and the current whereabouts of the First, Second and Third Children. If they are alive we need to get to them before someone else does."

"Yes sir."

"And if you locate Major Katsuragi, tell her I want a report from her as soon as it is convenient. Dismissed."

"Yes sir, Commander Fuyutski."

MEANWHILE. . . . .

Shinji awoke slowly, enjoying the gradual climb from deep sleep to barely conscious. With his eyes closed, he attempted to review some of the dreams he had experienced the night before. Panic, confusion, joy, fear, relief. All the emotions that he himself had felt after coming back but strangely multiplied and distorted as if he was somehow channelling input from someone else.

"Weird." He yawned to himself.

"Still, if anyone is going to feel a little crazy after yesterday, it would be me. Some of the shit I've been through lately would be enough to send anyone over the edge."

He paused.

"Which it did."

He pondered this for a moment, and then shook his head to clear it.

"Ah well, no point in trying to figure it out yet. Might as well get up and face the day. These deep thoughts can wait."

Satisfied with this internal agreement, he opened his eyes.

And froze.

With good reason.

That reason was currently taking up the other half of the bed with her face less than six inches from his own.

Shinji started to relax by slowly by degrees as he noticed she was still asleep.

'Asuka's in my bed and not the other way around? Check!

Both still dressed? Check!

Both under separate sheets? Check!

Holding hands? Check!'

Shinji's checklist came to a screeching halt at that last one. A quick glance down the bed confirmed that yes; her right hand was indeed gently clutching his left. He attempted to withdraw it only to have her grip him tighter.

'Okay. I'm stuck in bed, holding hands with Asuka, while she's drooling on my pillow. If I'm dreaming, it's the best one I've had in a looong time. If I'm awake, I guess I'll just have to lay here and enjoy it while it lasts. Woe is me!'

He smiled gently to himself.

'Besides, how many chances will I get to just look at her face without her accusing me of being a pervert. It's not MY fault she's the most beautiful girl I know.' He thought as he tried to commit to memory every feature of this girl who had unknowingly captured his heart.

An eternity later, Asuka started to stir. Yawning, she let go of Shinji to rub the sleep from her un-damaged eye. Upon opening it, her reaction was very similar to Shinji's.

She froze.

And stared.

Shinji stared back.

Both of them used this time to marshal their thoughts for what was sure to be an interesting conversation.

"Third Child."

"Yes, Asuka."

"Why are you in my bed?"

"I'm not. Your in mine."

"Yeah, right."

"No, really. Have a look around."

Asuka looked.

"Okay. Next question. Why am I in YOUR bed?"

"I don't know. I've been asleep all night. You must have walked in here."

"Yeah, right. I can't walk, remember. You must have dragged me in here."

"While we were both asleep? Anyway, your fed and rested. Maybe you can walk now."

Asuka thought on that for a moment. ' (GRRR!) That baka is way too calm about this situation. Just how long was he awake before me, anyway? Time to stir the pot! (SMIRK) '

"Maybe. Later. I still have questions. You had better have kept your hands to yourself while I was asleep, Third Child. It would be a shame if you survived Third Impact just for it to end here!"

"I didn't touch you! I only just woke up myself." He said defensively while blushing furiously.

Asuka smirked. 'So easy to tease. That's the Shinji I know.'

"Good. Now, what's the plan for today, O Mighty Shinji, Slayer of Angels?"

Blushing even more furiously at not only what she had said, but at the surprisingly affectionate tone behind it, he stammered his answer, "Um. . . get breakfast made, then boil some water for your bath."

"My what?"

"I figure your still coated with that L.C.L. crap like I am, so I'll draw you a bath first. Then I'll have one myself when I come back."

"From where?"

"Well, while your having a wash, I will go out and have a look for a clothing store for us."

Asuka thought about his idea for a moment. "No"

"No, what?"

"No, your not going out to look for clothes just yet."

"But. . . Why not?"

Wincing slightly, Asuka sat up and turned away from Shinji. "Asuka. . . ?"

"I don't want to be alone." She said in a quiet voice.

"What do you mean?" Shinji looked up at her, puzzled.

"I MEAN, I don't want to be alone right now, Shinji." Turning back to face him again, she chose her next words carefully as she continued in a steady voice.

"Yesterday was the most amazing and terrifying day of my life. It changed me. I died and was reborn. And I am going to be feeling the emotional fallout from THAT for years to come."

Taking a deep breath and calming her emotions, she started talking again.

"But that was yesterday. Today, I woke up after the best night's sleep I've had in a long time, next to someone who has been taking care of me, without reward, for no reason that I can see. I am feeling happy and safe and protected and I want that feeling to continue for as long as possible."

Smiling at the expression on Shinji's face, she concluded, "So, after breakfast, I am going to take that bath you have offered me. While I am in there, you are going to look in these cupboards for something we can wear temporarily. Then YOU will have a wash and WE will go out for a look around. Because I-DO-NOT-WANT-TO-BE-ALONE. Do you understand now!"

An extremely shocked Shinji managed to nod yes.

"Good. Now get up and give me a hand. I want to try walking."

To her surprise, once Asuka was on her feet she found she could walk. Slowly and with none of her customary grace and determination to be sure, but it still fell within what was considered 'walking'. Shrugging off Shinji's steading hand, she slowly made her way to the small table in the kitchen and sat down. Breathing heavily, she looked back over her shoulder at him with an enquiring eye.

"Not bad for someone who was in a coma yesterday. Now, how about that breakfast you promised me. Come on, you've got a starving invalid here. Get a move on."

Grinning at the teasing tone in her voice, Shinji crossed the room and began gathering ingredients together from his meagre larder.

"It will be pretty basic, I'm afraid. Whoever was here before us took just about everything edible with them."

"In all the time the three of us lived together, Third Child, I have never seen you present a sub-standard meal to either Misato or myself. I have faith that your culinary abilities will be able to overcome this situation." She smiled at his busy form as she continued. "Just hurry up or my stomach will start growling at you again."

'Is this really Asuka in the room with me?' Shinji thought as he blushed furiously at her gentle praise of him.

'She hasn't shouted at me once so far today. I thought for sure she would give me a black eye after waking up in bed with me. And then saying she didn't want me to leave her alone here. And all those other things. I mean, she's had her nice moments in the past, but this? It's like someone slipped Valium into her entry plug.'

Pondering the idea for a moment, he eventually discarded it. 'Nah. Whoever did it, wouldn't survive if she found out. Soooo. . . maybe she really did figure some things out during her instrumentality experience.'

At this thought, a blindingly fast montage of images flashed past his eyes. They were too quick for any sort of detailed study but they all had one thing in common, a mental association with the young woman sitting behind him.

"What the fuck was that?" Shinji mumbled softly as he put his hands over his face.

"Shinji? Are you all right? What's wrong?" Asuka asked quickly as the boy slumped against the bench and groaned slightly.

"Nothing Asuka." He said, trying to clear his head. "Just a small headache. I guess I'm hungry too."

"Are you sure? You're trembling." She said with concern in her voice.

"I'm fine. Just a post-impact brainfart."

Laughing slightly at the mental image accompanying that last statement, they both settled back into an easy silence.

'Hmm. That looked a little more serious than he wants me to believe. I'll have to grill him about it later. Can't have anything happening to my Shinji, who will look after me then?'

Asuka stopped and realised just what she was thinking. 'Damn, these injuries must be worse than I thought. Since when do I need anyone? I don't need to rely on anyone but myself!'

Sighing, she shook her head and smiled to herself as she considered the situation she found herself in, 'Buuuut, if I DO have to rely on someone, I would rather it was Shinji than anyone else. I mean, he's no KAJI, but he is improving. Whatever he went through yesterday, it's finally given him a spine.'

Mentally ticking of fingers, she continued, 'He's showing initiative. He's taken charge of our survival. He's actually doing a good job of it so far! He's standing up to ME, which would be no easy feat for him. AND, he hasn't spouted any meaningless apologies at me. Yet. PLUS, the first thing he did when we came back was try to strangle me. What wasTHAT all about?' Certain memories surfaced in answer to that last question. 'Well, maybeI have given him enough of a reason to do that in the past.'

Mentally twitching at the dark turn her thoughts were taking, Asuka changed tracks. Survival first, introspection later.

Shinji was also deep in thought as he prepared their meal.

'What was that! It looked like. . . like someone's life in fast-forward. Was that. . . Asuka's life? It looked like her as a little girl. Why do I get such a sense of sadness from these images? What did she lose that could wound her so badly?'

Another flash, this time of a woman and a doll, hanging in a room. The perspective was very low.

'Who's seeing this?' He thought. Then he got it. 'My god, she found her own mother after she committed suicide.'

It took all of his self-control not to give any visible sign of this realisation. 'That explains so much about why she is the way she is. I mean, I know I went off the deep end when my mom died and the commander abandoned me, but that was an accident. Her mother actually killed herself and left her body for Asuka to find.'

Surreptitiously clearing the tears from his eyes, Shinji thought of something, 'Wait a minute! If that's true, then why did Asuka say that her mother was in the EVA with her? She said something about that during the battle, I think? I know some part of my mother was in Unit-1. So how did her mom get into Unit-2?' He waited expectantly, but whatever was giving him those flashes had apparently decided to close up shop for the time being.

'Okay, a question for another time, then.' Shifting his mental attention elsewhere, 'So that explains who she was up until yesterday, but what about since then? She's been nice to me almost all the time. Even when she's teasing me, it doesn't have the same edge to it that it used too. And I really was expecting to be put through a wall earlier. What's going on? Is she really starting to like me?'

At that thought, Shinji mentally reigned himself in. Even after living through Third Impact and all that he's seen and done in the past few months, there are still some things that he is just not ready to seriously contemplate yet.

Coming off autopilot to put the finishing touches on breakfast, he put all those thoughts into the To-Do-Later basket and focused on serving the meal. Placing Asuka's portion in front of her, he set a large pot of water to heat on the burner before returning to the table with his own.

"Well?" He asked when he noticed the girl was half finished hers already.

" 'Well' what?"

"Well, does it pass the Asuka Langley Sohryu Quality Control Criteria for Human Consumption?"

Asuka started, then looked wryly across the table at a wide-eyed, innocent-looking Shinji.

"Smart-ass. Yes, it does and if I wasn't so hungry, you would be wearing it right now. So be quiet and eat."

After they had both finished and the table was cleared, Asuka looked pensive for a moment and then came to a decision.

"Shinji, could you help me take these bandages off? I want to see how much damage was done."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I don't know. But I want to do it anyway. They're driving me crazy."

Shinji agreed with reservations.

"We'll start with the arm one first. Undo it slowly, just in case."

"All right. Here we go."

"And don't tickle me!"

With that last warning, Asuka straightened out her arm and laid it on the table. Shinji gently unfastened the upper end of the bandage and slowly unwound it around her arm. Asuka watched on nervously as a pale pink scar began to be revealed halfway up her bicep. After about an inch of it was revealed, Shinji stopped and gently brushed his finger across it. "It's healed!" He said wondrously, not noticing the effect his light touch had on her.

"What?"

"I said it's healed. Totally. Just some light scarring along the surface."

Completely absorbed with what he was doing, Shinji didn't see her eyes glaze over as he touched her. 'Mein gott, his hands are so soft and gentle.' Coming back to reality, she tried to recall what he had said to her.

"Healed? How well healed."

"Completely, from the looks of it. Just a thin scar remains."

Resuming his task, he asked slowly, dreading the answer, "How far down will it go?"

"All the way." She answered sadly. "It happened during the fight with the other EVA's. I was just about to finish off the last one when one of their blade weapons came out of nowhere. I stopped it for a moment, but then it turned into a lance of Longinus and it went through my A.T. field like a hot knife through butter. That's how my eye got damaged. Right then my batteries cut out and I lost power. I went crazy. And I think I was starting to slip into bezerker mode."

Shinji shuddered in sympathy at what the memory of that was like.

"Anyway, just as it was about to kick in, another lance came down and cut my arm in two. Like a ribbon."

Sniffling loudly, she kept her face hidden behind her hair. "So that scar will go down one side of my arm, pass between my first and second finger, and come all the way back up the other side." Cringing as a thought occurred to her, she continued, " I suppose I should consider myself lucky it wasn't worse, considering what happened to me after that, but. . . "

As Shinji took the last of the bandages off her hand, he saw for himself that it was just as she had described it. Lifting her hand to her face, she traced the entire length of it with her undamaged eye. Unable to contain her emotions anymore, she started to cry softly.

When Shinji noticed this, his first thought was to leave the room. To run away. Again. However, he did not. Steeling himself with the thought that he wasn't going to do that anymore and besides', Asuka needed him right now, more than ever, he leaned in and put his arms around her.

Asuka stiffened at this unexpected physical contact at first, but soon relaxed into his embrace. Eventually, she was hugging him back and burying her face into his shoulder, all the while sobbing uncontrollably.

Shinji stroked her hair and tried to comfort her as best he could. Wisely, he decided to stay silent and let her cry herself out. After a time, she stopped shaking and the tears dried up. Leaning back slightly but still staying within the circle of his arms, Asuka looked Shinji in the eyes for a long moment. "Lets get this over with."

"Pardon?"

"The bandages over my eye. Take them off as well."

Shoulders slumped and sniffling quietly, she sighed, "May as well get it all over and done with at once. No use stretching out the horror any more than necessary. Come on, Shinji, stop procrastinating."

Dragging his thoughts back into order, Shinji released her and stood up. Ignoring her curious look, he started out of the room.

"Where are you going, Third Child?"

"To get a hand mirror for you."

"Oh, okay. Could you close the curtains on your way back? Just in case it's too bright for my eye."

Circling the room while returning, he did as she asked. Placing the small mirror on the table in front of her, he once again began unwinding bandages. Slowly, gently, he removed them all. Asuka removed the gauze pad from over her eye as Shinji moved in to get a closer look.

"How does it look?" She enquired nervously.

"May I get a bit closer?"

Waiting until she nodded affirmative, he slowly cupped the side of her face with his hand and gently traced the two parallel scars that fell diagonally from just above her eyebrow, across her eyelid, and down to the top of her cheek with his thumb. Leaning in, he studied her eye in a slightly detached way.

"Can you see anything?" Her answering groan seemed to be in the negative.

"Okay. Can you move it at all?" Groaning in the affirmative this time, her eye shifted direction and focused a little.

Smoothing the eyebrow under his thumb softly, he decided, "Nothing seems to be wrong, just a bit of bruising and redness. Should be okay with time."

As she moaned again and shifted her head against his hand, Shinji suddenly realised just how intimate a gesture he had made towards Asuka. Although blushing furiously, the boy took heart from her reaction and in a moment of daring, let his hand slide softly down the side of her face before it fell to his side.

Asuka came out of her daze as soon as he broke physical contact. Shaking her head to clear it of the thoughts that had been running rampant, she picked up the mirror and tried to see for herself how much damage had occurred.

'Scheiss! This is to small to really see what has been done to me.'

Putting it down flat, Asuka rose to her feet and made her way to the bathroom. Shinji followed at a safe distance, not sure how she would react once she got a good look at herself, but wanting to stay out of range, just in case.

'I think she still looks great, but when has my opinion ever counted.' Was all he thought as she pulled back the curtain and got a good look at herself in full sunlight.

Asuka stood in front of the mirror, taking in the sight of her changed appearance.

Yes, she had been in a coma.

Yes, she had been depressed for a while.

Yes, she hadn't had a chance to clean up after yesterday's battle. But this! This was a nightmare!

As she took stock of her appearance, she became increasingly pissed off. 'Still coated in L.C.L., hair looks like a birds nest, skin looks like grey sandpaper, puffy red eyes, I've got bones poking out everywhere and lets not forget the big goddamn fucking scars now decorating my body.'

Turning on Shinji, she shouted "Why the HELL didn't you tell me I looked this bad?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I look like a HAG, you idiot! Even Misato after her worst binges never woke up looking like this. I'm an ugly, scarred mess. Better to have stayed dead than to live looking like this."

Leaning against the sink and putting her head in her hands, she started to weep again.

"Asuka, don't say that. It's not true." Shinji started earnestly.

"SHUT UP, baka! I'm hideous. Who would ever want anything to do with me now, looking like this?"

"I would." Came his soft reply. Asuka froze in mid-sob at those words, but didn't look up. Not quite daring to say anything else, he crossed over to the tub and began filling it. Heading out to the kitchen briefly, he returned with the large pot that had been heating up. Pouring it in, he went back and forth repeating the process until the tub was warm and full. Turning to Asuka, who had not moved since his last statement, he said in a quiet monotone, "If it's too hot, just turn the tap on. Only the cold water is still running, unfortunately. Soap and shampoo are under the sink and there's towels in the cupboard."

Turning to leave, he stopped at the door when he heard her ask gently, "Do you mean that?"

"Yes, I do."

Turning Shinji's revelation over in her mind, she continued to ask "Why? How could you possibly feel anything like that towards me? I know what I am and I know how I've treated you in the past. And now my body finally matches my soul. Scarred! Why would you ever want anything to do with someone like me, Shinji?" She finished, almost pleading.

Turning to face her and considering his next words carefully, he waited until she raised her head and looked at him before answering, "Asuka, you've always been the most beautiful girl I know. That hasn't changed."

"Let me finish." He said when she looked like she was going to interrupt. "Yes, your personality is a bit prickly but I know there are reasons for that. You say you haven't treated me well in the past. Well, that's true, but I have deserved it on occasion."

Smiling ruefully, he continued, "BUT, we have been given a second chance at this life, whether we think we deserve it or not. I am trying to be more than I was, before. You can too."

Looking her over, he concluded, "As for your scars, well, anyone who is a real friend of yours won't notice them as anything more than just another part of you. And I will personally introduce Unit-1's boot to ANYONE who tries to give you any shit about them."

Getting a small smile out of her with that last statement, Shinji stepped back out of the room. Just before he shut the door, he threw one last thought into the room.

"And for the record, I've liked you since we fought that first Angel together."

'Really? Wow!' Were the only coherent thoughts Asuka could muster after Shinji left the room. Getting undressed and lowering herself into the bath, the young girl contemplated all that had been said, trying to decide if the boy was being serious and telling the truth or just trying to cheer her up. After much consideration, she decided he was being truthful.

'If there is one thing I have learnt about that boy, it's that he sucks at lying.'

Now all she had to do was deal with the fact that Shinji had feelings for her and he had meant everything he had said.

Shinji, on the other hand, spent the next ten minutes quietly hyperventilating!

Finally, as he shook his head at his own audacity, he picked himself up off the floor and set his own water to heat, before succumbing to his need to clean. As he knew how long Asuka liked to spend in the bathroom, he took his time, giving the unit a good once over. With that done, he went to 'her' room to choose some clothes for her to wear on their shopping expedition.

"Hmmmm. . . must have been a single mother living here with a teenage son. I'll be fine but Asuka will whine all the way to the shop."

Laying out a shirt and a pair of overalls on the bed, he turned to go into 'his' room while he continued to think out loud, "Nothing for it, I suppose. I'm in for a loooong walk later. I wonder if there are any earplugs lying around."

Making his own selection, he took them with him out to the kitchen. "COME ON, Asuka. We may have a big day ahead of us. You don't want to prune in there, do you?" He yelled through the door.

"BITE ME, Third Child! It's a lady's prerogative to take her time, at all times."

"I'll confirm that, if I ever meet one." He said under his breath.

"What was that!"

"Just agreeing with you."

Hearing the splashing that accompanied her dark mutterings, Shinji waited. Soon, Asuka opened the door and marched past him into her room, throwing him an unreadable glance as she went by.

"And don't come barging in and giving me any grief about what I laid out for you!" He called after her as she shut the door.

'So far so good. She's not shouting at me yet.'

Drawing his own bath, Shinji was cleaned and out in record time. Emerging dressed and ready to go, he was surprised to find Asuka waiting for him. Rising from the table, she led the way as they headed out.

"Lead me to a shopping centre, Third Child. I want to get out of these rags as soon as possible." She growled.

END OF PART 1

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More Notes: well, it's proceeding smoothly for now, this writing thing. Because I enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it, the hardest part for me has been divorcing my awe at the high level of stories I have looked at from the thought processes I use to write my stuff. I mean, I AM doing this for my own enjoyment but still, it can be a bit intimidating sometimes. Anyway, enough about my problems, part 2 should be along presently. Thrills, spills, and a bit of perving. It's all about the shopping. P.S. Thanks to Avhern, blackman and James5 for their reviews. Keep reading guys & dolls.

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	3. Chapter 3

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION : THESE SCARS WE BEAR

by: TEZZA1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: I don't own N.G.E., Anno and GAINAX do. Believe me, if I did, I would have thrown more money at it during production and found a way to squeeze a second season out of it. Oh well, I suppose thats what fan fiction is for.

'Thoughts'

"speech"

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DAY 2 Part 2

Previously: Our intrepid heroes have survived Third Impact. Now, they are learning to survive each other. So far, so good! We rejoin them as they go in search of a mall for Asuka. . .

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Reaching the store Shinji had been raiding for supplies, they both slowed. As he got his bearings, Asuka asked in a shocked voice, "Mein Gott! Where is the rest of this block? How did the water get so far into the city?"

"Don't you remember? Rei self-destructed Unit-0. Apparently, it makes a bigger hole than an N2 mine." He said sadly, remembering those dark days. "This way. There's a large centre a few blocks over."

Still shocked at the amount of destruction around her, she followed in silence for a while.

"What happened after I. . . went away, Shinji?" She asked in a small voice.

"I'm not really ready to talk about it yet, Asuka." He answered firmly, not turning. "Ask me later, please?"

"Can you tell me anything at all! Please Shinji!" she pleaded.

Spinning around, he choked out in a desperate voice, "It was bad. Very bad. In fact, by being in a coma, you probibly got the best deal out of all of us."

Calming himself, he almost begged her, "Just drop it Asuka. Okay?"

". . . okay."

The rest of the journey was made in silence.

Reaching the centre, they wondered how they were going to get in, as it appeared to be locked up tight. Walking around the outside, they looked for an open door or a glass window to break. Finding nothing, they were starting to consider going in through one of the skylights when they found a means of entry.

"Hmmm. . . someone's been here." Said Asuka suspiciously. "This door was forced open from the inside. See how the debree is scattered out that way."

Pointing to the spray of door and lock parts fanning outwards, she continued to scruitinize the area for a few more moments and then shrugged, "We should be fine though. No footprints leading inwards."

Walking in confidently with Shinji nervously bringing up the rear, Asuka noticed something else as they made their way along the service corridor towards the shop fronts:

Shinji was carefully avoiding stepping on any of the damp mounds of clothing littered all over the floor.

"What are these piles of clothes doing here?" she enquired as she chose one at random to inspect. Picking up a shirt, she was a bit grossed out to feel it was damp.

"Asuka. Put it down and leave them alone." Shinji said in a slightly horrified voice.

"Why, baka? Is it your size or something?"

Sighing, he braced himself for her reaction to his next words, "Asuka, please put it down. That used to be a person."

She looked at him as if he had just sprouted flippers. "What do you mean?"

"When Instrumentality happened, everyone became a sort of primordeal soup, similar to the L.C.L. in our entry plugs. What you have in your hands, and what your standing in, is the remains of someone who decided not to come back."

Looking from Shinji to the shirt and back, she slowly processed the full meaning of his words,

"AAAAAUUUGH!"

Fleeing to the nearest washroom to scrub off a layer of skin from her hands, she emerged and glared at the boy, "Why didn't you tell me, Third Child!"

"I was going to." he said, looking solemnly at her.

Asuka's fury faded as the implications started to sink in. "You mean to say that we all turned into THAT for a while?" Shinji nodded as she looked around, counting. "Why? How?"

"Instrumentality was the breaking down and removing of the barriers from around our souls. With those gone, nothing was there to keep them apart, so our souls were free to merge and become one. Those same barriers gave us our physical form. Without them, our bodies just. . . melted away. Kaoru once told me it was our own personal A.T. field." Shinji laughed bitterly at that memory. "It makes sense when you think about it. If we humans are so good at pushing others away with our own personal A.T. fields, imagine how strong a field a forty-foot human could create? Especially if it's got Angelic components to it."

Trying to keep up with everything that was pouring out of the boys mouth, she didn't get it for a moment.

"Our EVA's?" She whispered.

"Yup! Anyway, back to my original point. We all became like this for a while. Then, some of us decided to come back and others didn't. What you see is all that remains of the ones who didn't." he concluded, waving his hand around.

Asuka thought deeply about all this for a while. Presently, she began asking some questions that had been bothering her since he had started talking.

"Shinji, how do you know all this? From the moment we met, you've always been the clueless one. What happened to you yesterday to change that? Where are you getting this information from? Does it have anything to do with how you were acting this morning? And who the heck is Kaoru?"

Raising his hands up to hold off her verbal assault, Shinji pleaded with the girl, "I'm still trying to sort it all out myself, Asuka. Give me some time. Please."

Seeing the determined look in her eye, he decided, "Tomorrow. I'll tell you everything I know tomorrow. Okay!"

Curiosity still burning in her eyes, she sighed as she relented.

"Allright, Third Child. Tomorrow then. I won't forget, either. You and I have a long talk coming."

Turning, she began walking towards one of the shops, dragging Shinji along behind her.

"Why are we going in here first, Asuka?" he asked as she forced an entry. "we should be getting supplies and stuff."

"Quiet, Third Child. THIS is a necessity."

Grabbing his hand and leading him inside, she continued, "If we are going to be alive in a post-apocalyptic world, then we are going to dress the part. I told you I needed to get out of these rags, and you could stand to get a new wardrobe yourself. You look like Touji in that getup." She shuddered.

Heading towards the menswear section of the store she had led them into, she gave Shinji his instructions:

"You are to go forth and find yourself something decent to wear, Shinji Ikari. I will be in the ladies section. We will meet back by the changerooms shortly. Pick something good, or I will do it for you. Now, off you go!"

Flinging him towards a rack, she marched off, rubbing her hands with glee at the thought of how much shopping she was going to do. For free!

Untangling himself from where he had landed, Shinji looked worriedly at her retreating form. "The last time I saw that look in her eye, she maxed out Misato's AND Kaji's credit cards. In three hours."

Sighing, he turned and began looking around. "Thank the heavens it looks like we'll just be able to walk out with whatever she gets."

Taking her time and not having to worry about cost, Asuka eventually made her way to the changerooms with two armfulls of clothing. Walking in, she found that Shinji had started without her. As she walked towards the only booth with the curtain pulled across, she fumed.

'Hmph! You think he could have at least waited for me. Anything could have happened to me while he was safe in here. Just for that, I'm going to give him a piece of my. . . . . . . . . . HELLOOOOO, LYCRA!'

Shinji hadn't pulled the curtain shut properly.

Quickly checking that his attention was elsewhere, she continued to drink in the view.

'Well, I wouldn't have picked him as a boxers man. My-o-my, doesn't he fill THOSE out well. And since when did Shinji become so buff. Ohhh yeah, love that white lycra. Shows off every single curve of that cute, little. . . '

"ASUKA! Is that you?"

"Who else would it be, baka." She replied in what she hoped was a normal tone of voice. Backing up a few steps, she hoped she wasn't blushing as he stepped out of the booth wearing:

"A white button up shirt and black trousers."

Slapping her forehead, she sighed. "For gods sake, Shinji. An entire store to choose from and you get THAT! You really are just a creature of habit, aren't you."

Sighing again, she dumped her armfulls on a bench and began to drag him, whimpering with fear, back out into menswear.

"Right, Third Child, this is a golden opportunity to upgrade your wardrobe to something in the area of 'cool'. AND, you also have the good fortune of being in the presence of the most stylish person in Tokyo-3."

Grabbing clothes almost at random, she began sizing them against Shinji, who was wearing his best Deer-In-Headlights look.

Noticing this after a few minutes, Asuka re-assured him, "Oh, don't panic, Third Child. I won't be making you wear anything too daring. Besides, for this to really work, you have to be comfortable and confident wearing them. How else do you think Kaji got away with wearing that scruffy suit and tie combo. It was out of style before Second Impact! He made it look good by being confident and making it his own."

As Shinji pondered this new information, Asuka finalised her choices. With a detour through footwear, they made their way back to the changerooms. Handing him a selection and pushing him in, she closed the curtain saying, "We'll start simple for now and work our way up."

Settling herself on the bench to wait, she checked to see if she had judged the angles correctly out of the corner of her eye.

'Bingo! Bless whoever invented mirrors. Oh yeah, work it Shinji! Who'd have thought such a wimp could have such an impressive package! Makes me wonder what else I've been missing out on with this boy?'

While Asuka is getting lost in her damp thoughts, the boy in question was also trying to sort a few things out.

'Why is she doing this? Since when does Asuka care what I look like?'

A new notion presented itself. 'Maybe she believed me this morning.'

Turning this over in his mind, he finished changing and looked at himself in the mirror. Black hiking boots, black jeans and a form-fitting, powder blue, long-sleeved tee shirt. Turning this way and that, he decided it complemented his lean frame well. 'I guess battling Angels plus all the training N.E.R.V. put us through paid off after all. looks good, feels good.'

With that last thought repeating in his mind, he stepped out to see Asuka looking a bit flushed. 'Hmm, must be a bit too hot in here for her.'

"So, what do you think?"

"A definate improvement. What do YOU think?"

Looking back at the mirror for a moment, he answered, "Looks good, feels good."

Working his way through the combinations she chose for him, Shinji continued to try and decipher her motivation for all this. ''She knows I like her after this morning. And I'm pretty sure she likes me. The problem is how to get it all out in the open without setting off her temper.' He frowned, then brightened. 'At least I have a chance. I mean, you don't go to all this trouble for someone you just tolerate.'

Cheered by thet last thought, he finished modeling all her choices and changed back into the first set again.

"Okay, my turn. No peeking." Bouncing into the booth with her own armfulls, she drew the curtain all the way across. 'No free show for you, my Shinji.' She thought, but added with a naughty grin, 'At least, not yet.'

Shinji decided to keep himself busy by organising and folding his new wardrobe while waiting for Asuka to make an appearance. He was just starting to wonder what could be taking so long and was about to call to her when she came out wearing jeans, Docs and a long-sleeved, button up shirt.

"What took so long, Asuka. That outfit looks good on you but did it really take that long to pick out?"

His voice trailed off as he got a look at her face. Or what he could see of her face. She had pulled her hair down over her left eye.

"Shinji, I'm. . . not in the mood for this anymore. Can we go back to the unit."

"Whats wrong?" He said, with surprise and some worry in his voice.

"Nothing. Lets just get some supplies and go. Please."

Shinji stood there confused for a moment. 'She's turning down a chance to shop. Free? What's up with her. She was fine before?' He thought. Then he got it. Looking her in the eye and speaking in a tender voice, he stated, "You got a good look at them again, didn't you."

Her eyes widened as she nodded in surprise, confirming his suspicion. Reaching out and brushing her hair back behind her ear, he continued, "Asuka, there is no need to hide them. Or be ashamed of them."

She continued to stare at him, wanting to run and hide but unwilling to break contact with this boy who cared about her so earnestly. Needing to believe.

"You earned those scars fighting a battle that puts anything I have ever done in an EVA to shame. I know you are still coming to terms with how you look now, but to me they are proof of how I have always thought of you."

"And how is that?" She asked, remembering how she has treated him in the past.

"Beautiful"

Blushing, he dropped his hand from the side of her face and busied himself with gathering up her discarded choices of clothing.

"Shinji, I -"

"I'll get us a backpack each to put all of this in and we'll get going."

Turning to walk out of the changerooms, he was stopped by a hand on his arm. Not facing her, he waited.

'How can he think of me like that after all that I've put him through? Can't he see how ugly these scars are, how ugly I've become. How ugly I've always been? What can he see in me that I can't?'

These thoughts raced through her head as she tried to articulate a thank-you. In the end, she settled for spinning him around and throwing her arms around his neck while snuggling her face next to his. After his initial shock wore off, Shinji slowly put his arms around her waist and hugged her back. They stayed that way for a time, Asuka enjoying the knowledge that someone finally wants her for herself, not her body, or just because she's an EVA pilot. Whereas Shinji used the time to get his head around the fact that he had just laid his feelings for her out in the open and she hadn't rejected him.

Eventually, they stepped apart and looked at each other shyly.

"Do you really think I'm beautiful, even now." Asuka finally asked in an uncertain voice, wanting to believe. Needing to be sure.

"Even now." He answered in a small but confident tone.

"Why? How?"

"Asuka, I've seen you made up for a date, I've seen you first thing in the morning and I've seen you sweating like a pig in a volcano. I've seen you at your best and your worst and no matter what, you always look beautiful." Gently brushing his fingertips across the scars on her eye, he continued, "These don't change who you are inside."

Seeing she still didn't quite believe him, he tried a different approach. "You've always been able to tell if I'm lying to you, Asuka. Look at me and tell me if I'm lying to you now."

This was something she had been doing since he had started talking. Try as she might, she could not see any deception in the boy. He was telling the truth. And that scared her somewhat.

'Great, he likes me. No, he thinks I'm beautiful. Even now. It doesn't mean he won't leave me someday, like everyone else. It's just a matter of time.'

At that thought, another internal voice made itself heard. It was still a small voice, but it had been growing stronger the last two days.

'Yes, he might. He might also stay with you for the rest of your life. You will never know unless you take a chance. And anyway, isn't it nice to have someone wanting you for all the right reasons, for a change?'

The sound of glass breaking brought a halt to all internal and external dialogue.

"What the. . .? "

They both raced to the front of the shop and cautiously looked around.

"There. Up the end of the mall." Asuka pointed as Shinji came over.

"What do you think, looters?" He asked.

"Yep! If they were section-2 from N.E.R.V., they would have keys and be calling our names by now." She replied. "And since the last thing looters want is witnesses, we should be leaving as quietly as possible. Now!"

Backing up and heading towards the change rooms, she continued, "You sneak over and get a couple of backpacks and meet me back here. Hurry." Shinji was out and back in record time. "They didn't see me. Too busy up the other end." Stuffing their selections into the backpacks, they headed for the back door.

"Stay low, stay quiet. And don't trip over anything!"

"Yes, Asuka."

"And don't give me that look."

"Which look?"

"You know which look."

"Asuka! Looters, remember. We can do this later."

"Hmph!"

Making sure the coast was clear, they crept out the back door and towards the way they had come in. Their luck held until they got to the doorway.

"HEY YOU. WHERE THE HELL DID YOU COME FROM."

Turning, they saw three big men running towards them with ugly expressions on their faces. "OH, SHIT!" They yelled as they ran through the door. Slamming it shut after them and quickly putting some crates across it, they ran up the street and into the first abandoned building they could. Hiding themselves in time, they heard the door splinter open and a string of curses as one of the men fell over the crates.

"You little bastards, we'll find you. Then we'll have some real fun. You wait and see." He shouted as he picked himself up and went back inside. The other two followed, laughing at his misfortune.

Risking a look, Asuka presently announced the all clear. "I imagine they will be busy pulling apart the mall for a while. Gives us a chance to get out of here safely."

Helping Shinji to his feet, he agreed with her, adding, "It's a good thing we had to walk so far to get here, too. Less chance of them finding out where we are sleeping."

"Good point. And excelent planning on your part, Shinji. I'm impressed."

"Ummm, thank you."

"Your welcome. Now, lets get going. I have had enough excitement for one day and I'm hungry." Taking his hand in hers, she started to lead him away. "Does that convenience store have enough food in it to keep us going for a few days, Shinji?"

"What? Oh, yeah. Plenty. We won't have to risk coming back here for a week at least."

"Good."

BANG!

They both froze as a gunshot rang out behind them from the direction of the mall.

"Oh, great. they're armed."

They both decided to run back to their temporary home.

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Notes: Goodness, that was exciting, wasn't it kids. Yep, finally starting to get this plot moving in the direction I want it to. Pity I'm going to slow it down even further and throw some WAFF at you next time. If you have stuck it out this far, thank-you, and all I can offer is more of the same. Thanx to all of you taking the time to post reviews, they have been pleasantly postitve so far.

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	4. Chapter 4

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

by TEZZA1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it, Anno and GAINAX do. All I can do is pick it up and run with it a while in my own direction.

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

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DAY 2 Part 3

Having made it home safely, our two pilots start to wind down after a stressful day . . .

-----------------------------------

**URP . . .**

"Ahhh, that filled some holes. Nice meal once again, Shinji." Asuka leaned back on the chair and stretched her arms over her head as Shinji cleared the table. She had changed into one of the sleeveless dresses she usually favoured as soon as they had gotten back. Shinji liked seeing her in it but made a mental note to bring up the long sleeved top she had put on over it. 'How can I convince her she doesn't need to hide them from me?'

Heading back to the dining table, he stopped and looked at Asuka with a slight smile on his face as she picked some food from her teeth with a fingernail while scratching her belly. Noticing his gaze, she asked what was so funny.

"I was just thinking."

"Abouuuut."

"Well, with all the belching after meals and picking at your teeth and such, I was just thinking 'give that girl a Yebisu and she could be Misato.' "

"WHAT!"

'Oh crap!'

"Are you comparing me to that drunken grub." She growled.

"It was just a thought. Sorry."

As she heard that last word leave his mouth, her face fell. "And you were doing so well, too."

"Doing so well at what?" he enquired with confusion saturating his voice.

Sighing, she answered, "That's the first time I've heard you apologise in ages."

Seeing he still didn't get it, she decided to clarify, "Every fifth word out of your mouth was 'sorry' there for a while, remember. I hope your not going to start again. I was really getting used to not hearing it."

Shinji thought about her words for a moment and realised that she was right. He also realised that there was only one thing for him to do now.

Have some fun!

Blinking as if coming out of deep thought, he looked at her. With a final prayer that the situation did not turn lethal for him, he started talking. "Your absolutely right, Asuka. Sorry."

"Damnit Shinji, didn't you listen to a word I said. You don't have to apologise for every little thing."

"I'm sorry."

"Grrrrrrr."

"Oh sorry, I did it again. I'm sorry for saying sorry Asuka."

"You're starting to get on my nerves, Third Child."

"Sorry about that."

By now, steam was starting to come out of her ears.

"For fucks sake, are you even listening to me? Are the words getting through?"

Holding up his hands he answered, "Yes, I understand you, Asuka."

Her blood pressure started to drop. . . "sorry". . . and went straight back through the roof. Grinding her teeth, she spat out her next sentence, "God-damnit you baka, stop saying sorry!"

Bowing at her, he apologised for saying sorry.

Just as she was about to go bezerker on Shinji, Asuka noticed the twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

'No way. He wouldn't _dare_'

"Are you teasing me, Shinji Ikari?" She asked in a tone that implied honey over broken glass.

Cupping his hand to his ear due to a sudden bout of deafness, he replied, "Sorry, I didn't hear you. What was that you said?"

'Question answered.' She nodded to herself. 'Well, _two_ can play that game.'

With a glare that spoke of the horrible fate she had in mind for the boy, Asuka loudly stated, "YOU HAVE TEASED ME, SHINJI IKARI. NONE MAY DO THIS AND SURVIVE. YOU MUST BE PUNISHED!" and then began to chase him around the table.

Shinji managed to stay opposite her while laughing and singing a tune composed of the following words:

"Sorry, sorry,

so very, very sorry."

Asuka climbed over the table. Shinji bolted for the living room, still chanting over his shoulder:

"I'm sorry, you're sorry,

we're all very sorry."

Taking refuge behind the couch, he kept a wary eye on the girl as he continued singing.

"Don't worry, be sorry,

sorry, sorry, sorry."

Getting off the table and moving into the other room like a predator stalking her prey, she commented, "Your song writing skills suck by the way, Shinji."

-He stopped singing at that and smiled.-

As soon as she said it, she knew she had made a mistake.

-He opened his mouth slowly, in an exaggerated manner.-

She had given him an opening.

-He took a breath.-

She growled at him, "Oh, don't you even _think_ about it, Third Child."

-His lips formed the word.-

"I'm warning you, Shinji. Don't!"

-He exhaled.-

She readied herself to jump the couch and tackle him.

"Sorry."

**CRASH**

Blinded by smugness, Shinji had failed to see Asuka leap at him until it was too late.

After a brief scuffle, he found himself pinned to the floor, his arms at his side and Asuka sitting on his stomach with an evil grin on her face. "That's better. Now, about you teasing me, Shinji Ikari. Do you have anything to say in your own defence before judgement is passed on your scrawny little ass."

She looked down expectantly at him.

"Um, sorry?" he said in a hopeful voice.

Gazing mercilessly down upon him, she started cracking her knuckles and flexing her fingers. "Shinji Ikari, for the supreme crime of daring to tease The Great Asuka Langley Sohryu, you are to be punished most unmercifully."

As she clenched and unclenched her fists above his face, Shinji started to wonder if maybe he had gone too far. Leaning in to make sure he didn't miss a word, Asuka continued: "And your punishment shall be. . . "

Her hands moved out of his line of sight.

He gulped.

"Tickling!"

With that, she homed in on his weak spots, which were under his ribs and the inside of his elbows, of all places. As promised, she was without mercy and soon had him begging.

After one minute of this, she had extracted a promise from him never to do it again.

After two minutes, he was ready to sign over his soul. Cheap.

Eventually, with all his thrashing about, he managed to work an arm free and begin a counter strike. His other arm soon joined the fray and he began to regain lost ground. Unfortunately, Shinji was still weak from his ordeal and soon found Asuka leaning over his face again with her hands pinning his arms over his head. Breathing hard, she looked him in the eye and asked him if he was ready to surrender yet. He was preparing to ask about terms when it happened. They caught each other's eye and looked.

Really looked.

Asuka was still sitting on top of him, her face mere inches from his. She still had his arms in her hands. She still had control. She knew it. He knew it. One timeless moment later, Asuka came to a decision and gave in to the thought that had been bouncing around her brain for the last two days. Moistening her lips, she slowly lowered her head and, with a last look of longing, very gently began to kiss Shinji.

She began softly, almost chastely. This did not last long. As she gained confidence with her ability, she began to deepen the kiss. Opening her mouth, she started to flick her tongue across Shinji's teeth. Moaning, she begged him wordlessly to join her in this new sensation.

Getting over his complete surprise at her actions very quickly, Shinji soon accepted her offer.

Presently, he noticed her hands were not holding on to his arms anymore, but were cupping the sides of his face, as if she were trying to drink in as much of him as possible. Careful not to touch anything TOO inappropriate, he brought his left hand down around her waist. The other one he ran through her hair, gently holding her face to his.

Kissing, licking, touching, moaning, stroking, exploring. They had all the time in the world. Their own world. Population - 2. No one else needed or invited. It was their perfect moment.

Still, no matter how young or how much in love you are, eventually the need for oxygen will lead to a time-out.

Moving apart slightly and looking into each other's eyes, breathing heavily, her hair tickling his brow, they both had the same thought running through their head. 'WOW!'

As Shinji raised his head to start kissing her again, Asuka settled herself further down the boy's body to get more comfortable. In doing so, she bumped into Shinji's excitement.

'What the heck is that?' she wondered, not getting it for a moment.

'Wait a minute, is that his. . . '

"Hey!" She yelled in surprise as she sat straight up, which really didn't help matters. Shinji felt where she was sitting and nearly fainted with pleasure. It turned to an audible moan of despair as she hopped off him.

"Asuka, what's wrong?" He cried in disappointment as he also climbed to his feet.

"That's what's wrong, you pervert!" She yelled again, pointing at his crotch. "Just what the hell do you think is going to happen, tonight? And when did I ever give you the impression I was that easy, huh!" She continued, punctuating her words by poking his chest with her finger.

Getting on to the same page as the girl, Shinji tried to calm her down and re-assure her of his intentions. "Asuka, I would never try to force myself on you or do anything to you without your full consent. You know that."

Keeping eye contact, he spread his hands in a passive manner and slowly tried to close the distance between them. "I apologise if I startled you with that but in my own defence, I did have the most beautiful girl in Tokyo-3 on my lap." Moving closer, he tried for a smile. "I guess I was too busy trying to return those amazing kisses to focus elsewhere." Seeing her expression start to soften, he took another step. "Say the word and I will go to my room and stay there for the rest of the night."

"Yeah, right." Asuka scoffed.

"I mean it. I will even go out and find another place to stay for the night, if you want. Whatever it takes to make you feel safe."

"What!" She said, shocked to the core by this statement.

"Whatever it takes to make you feel safe." He re-iterated. "I would never hurt you Asuka. Please believe me."

Seeing the honesty in his eyes, hearing the pleading tone in his voice, Asuka felt shame. Hugging herself and dropping her gaze to the floor, she said in a small voice, "I do."

Surprised at this admission from her, Shinji took a final step and embraced her gently. Not looking at him, she whispered in that same small voice, "I'm sorry for overreacting, Shinji. Too many bad dates before now. Not that that's any excuse. Your right, I _do_ know you better than that." Raising her head up to look at him, she almost pleaded, "Forgive me. Please."

"Forgiven and forgotten, Asuka." He smiled. She smiled back. Unwrapping her arms from around herself and encircling Shinji's neck, she breathed a quick, heartfelt thank-you before covering his mouth with hers.

After no small amount of time (which Asuka had spent making it up to Shinji for her lack of trust in him and his continued faith in her), it was reluctantly decided that sleep was needed. Tucking her in and kissing her goodnight several times, Shinji eventually made his way to his own bed. Flopping into it and curling up under the covers, he slowly dozed off to thoughts about Asuka and how lucky he was. He would have been even happier to know that she was thinking the same thoughts about him. The same contented smile was to be seen on both their faces as dreams claimed them.

-------------------------------------------------------------

NOW, lets skip over and see what those hard working people at N.E.R.V. have been up to:

"Ah, Major Katsuragi. How are you feeling?" Commander Fuyutski enquired as she arrived on the battle bridge.

"Pretty good, considering I was gut-shot and blown up yesterday." With only a small shudder at the memory, she continued. "I guess it happened close enough to Third Impact that my soul was swept up in it all. Not that I'm complaining, mind you." Looking around the bridge, she asked, "I have a preliminary report for you, sir. Do you want it now or in the office?"

"Hmmm? Oh, here will be fine, Major. There aren't many secrets to keep, anymore." He said in an amused tone.

"Very well, sir. We now have about 64 percent of our returned personnel back on duty. Some are still feeling a bit weak, but a big meal seems to take care of that in the short term. We are getting them to sleep in three eight-hour shifts to allow rest and recovery while still keeping N.E.R.V. functional."

"Good idea, Major. Continue."

"No J.S.S.D.F. soldiers have been found to have returned at this time."

"Isn't that a little unusual? Surely some of them would have wanted to come back." He pondered this for a moment. "What do the MAGI say?"

"The MAGI are reserving their opinion on that, sir. Not enough data."

"Damn. Continue."

"Dr. Akagi and Commander Ikari's remains have been found in central dogma. Ritsuko seems to have elected to pass on to wherever we go when we die. The Commander, on the other hand. . . "

"What, Major?"

"It appears that he was bitten in half, sir."

"WHAT!"

"Bitten, sir. In half. We only found the bottom half."

"Gods above and below." Fuyutski murmured in a shocked tone. A bitter laugh escaped him. "I wonder which one got to him."

"Sir?"

Turning to the Major, he clarified, "I was just wondering which one did that to Gendo. Was it Yui, Shinji or Rei?"

Misato thought on that. "It doesn't really matter. The bastard got what he deserved. Sir."

"No arguments there, Major. Anything else?"

"Just a mystery, sir."

That brought a wry smile to the older man's face. "Another one?"

"Yes, sir. Lt. Ibuki, could you bring up a video feed for holding cell 14-D, please."

"One moment. . . done Major."

"Taking prisoners already, Major. A little soon for that, don't you think?"

"She is not a prisoner, sir. She was found wandering around, disorientated and looking for a way to the surface. Take a good look, sir. Do you recognise her?" Misato asked while bringing the camera's focus in tighter on the person's face.

Recognition came with a jolt. "My god, is that-"

"Yes, sir."

"How did she-"

"Unknown, sir."

"And why does-"

"We don't know that either, sir."

Marshalling his thoughts, Fuyutski started giving orders.

"I want a full medical work-up done on her. Blood, samples, scans, everything. Lt. Ibuki!"

"Yes, sir."

"You are to liaise with medical and feed everything they give you into the MAGI. I want answers and I want them fast. Major Katsuragi!"

"Yes, sir."

"Miasto, you are now in charge of the search for the children. Find them. Keep them safe. Get them back here. Use what resources we can spare. Go."

"Yes, sir!"

END OF DAY TWO

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Notes: Okay, that's done. Day 3 will be a bit deeper and darker. There are also chunks of violence here and there. Hence, the higher rating than it probably deserves. We also find out just why the bad guys have been so absent thus far, and the ramifications of this for our heroes. Also, the next chapter will be delayed until mid to late april. Work has become a mite more complicated and renovations around the house are not allowing me to give this story the attention it deserves at the moment. I am not, repeat **NOT**, abandoning this story. Chapters will just be coming out a bit slower, that's all. Thanx.

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	5. Chapter 5

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

By TEZZA1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: N.G.E. is owned by GAINAX and Anno. I freely admit this as I don't want to spend any time in a courtroom. Or anywhere else that will have strange people telling me I'm a bad bad boy for enjoying myself in public. (I was typing, officer. My hands are SUPPOSED to be there in my lap!)

'Thoughts'

"speech"

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DAY THREE PART ONE

Ah, N.E.R.V. A place of big decisions and even bigger headaches. Before breakfast, too!

(BEEP) "What!"

"Sorry to disturb you, commander. Internal Security here."

"This had better be important."

"The person we had in cell 14-D is gone, Sir."

"WHAT! How did she escape?"

"Since she wasn't technically a prisioner, she was not locked in, sir. Just a guard posted outside."

Fuyutski sighed and asked what happened.

"It seems that she overpowered the guard with a blow to the back of the head."

"She's a fifteen year old girl, for heavens sake!"

"Who was wielding a very large dinner tray. Sir."

". . . go on."

"Yes sir. The last thing the guard remembers hearing before he became unconcious was her saying something about finding the Third Child."

'Damn her. Why couldn't she just be patient.' The commander thought as he rubbed his temples with his fingers.

"Very well. If you find her, she is to be brought in alive and unharmed. Just in case she makes it to the surface, inform Major Katsuragi that she has someone else to look for, aside from the children. Is that understood."

"Yes sir. Signing off."

BACK IN TOKYO-3. . .

Shinji awoke suddenly with a vague feeling of urgency racing through his mind. Groping for the thoughts behind the emotions, he cursed as they slipped away from his waking conciousness. Letting the sound of the rain hitting the window wash over him, he relaxed. He also became aware of a presence next to him. Sure enough, as he opened his eyes and looked down, he saw Asuka's head nestling on his chest. Looking further down, he also noted that she had her right arm and leg thrown across his body in a very possesive manner. 'I could really get used to waking up like this every morning.' The boy thought contentedly as he began stroking her hair.

Slowly rising out of the warm pool of dreams she had been floating the night away in, Asuka felt her hair being brushed lightly by someones fingers. She tensed and relaxed in the space of a second as she realised where she was and who she was with.

'In bed with Shinji again.' She sighed. 'He's going to think I'm some sort of slut if I keep doing this. And after all those protests I gave last night.' A frustrated groan escaped her while another part of her presented a different point of view. 'Or, he might just think you like him and want to be with him as much as he wants to be with you. Remember, he's not like all the other boys you've known. Besides, he's obvously been awake for a while now and he hasn't kicked us out yet. _(GIGGLE)_ Not that he could, the way we've latched on to him.'

Deciding that this other thought had a very good point, Asuka tightened her grip on Shinji and was almost purring as she settled in to enjoy the morning in the arms of someone she was fast falling in love with.

Listening to his steady heartbeat and the rhythm of his breathing, she thought of the questions she had wanted to ask yesterday. Despite his promises, she knew it would not be an easy task to get him talking. 'That boy could be stubborn in his own way, even back when he was acting like a spineless baka. With this new and improved Shinji, I might have better luck getting blood from a stone.' Grinning to herself, She thought about ways to loosen his tongue. Several crossed her mind that ranged from naughty to just plain evil. 'Maybe I'll just stick with tickling. THAT worked _soooo _well yesterday.' She smirked, then sobered. 'Just be prepared to not like the answers you get. The way he acted whenever I brought it up does not bode well.' Frowning, she decided she was going to ask anyway. A lot had gone on and she had too many gaps in her memory to let it go so easily. 'One way or another, Shinji, you are going to spill everything you know.' Pause, 'After breakfast.'

Priorities! Gotta love 'em!

After a quick peck on the lips as a good morning ("I like you a lot, Shinji, but were not ready to swap morning breath just yet." had been her reply to his dissapointed look.), Asuka got out of bed with Shinji and helped him prepare breakfast. As he cleaned up afterwards, she drew her own bath and only spent half the time in there that she normally would. 'What is she in such a hurry for?' he pondered as he settled into his own bath. He dressed and came out to find her sitting at the table with a pensive yet determined expression on her face.

"It's time we had that talk you've been avoiding, Shinji."

'Oh, _crap_!' He slowly approached the chair she had pulled out for him, frantically racking his brain for any way to kill this conversation without resorting to physical violence or making a run for it. Unable to come up with anything as he sat down, he decided he was just going to have to answer her questions, because A: she was stronger than him, and B: if he tried to run she would just tackle him and tie him up.

(The thought of him tied to a chair with Asuka sitting on his knees, tickling him for information, flew across his mind with mixed emotions.)

Taking a deep breath, Shinji prepared himself for a long day. Little did he know.

"Okay Asuka, where do you want me to start?"

"Huh?"

"Shoot! Ask away! What do you want to know?"

Giving him a wary look, she enquired, "What are you up to, Third Child? I was expecting this to be like pulling teeth. Why so co-operative all of a sudden?"

"I know you, remember. I know how tenatious you can be when you set your mind to something. So, instead of spending the next few hours dancing around the subject and getting into a fight which I would eventually lose, how about we get it over and done with. All that I ask is that you don't lose your temper. Your not going to want to hear some of this."

Shaking off her amazement, she nodded.

"Do you promise not to lose your temper?" he insisted.

"Allright, I promise. Start talking. Everything I missed after I went away."

And he did. He started with how he felt finding out about her disapearance and subsiquent hospitalisation. He talked about how Rei changed after she self-destructed her EVA. He spoke of the pain at all of his remaining friends leaving Tokyo-3. He described how Misato fell apart and closed herself off from him. He faltered as he got to Kaoru; the first person to slip past all of Shinji's defences, and find a way into his heart. Kaoru, the friend. Kaoru, the betrayer.

Kaoru, who was also known as Tabris, the Final Angel.

Asuka gasped as he described what he had to do to beat her EVA while it was under Tabris' control. She nearly joined him in tears as he described the choice he was given inside Central Dogma. And when he told her that he killed his friend, the last Angel, she gathered him into her arms and tried to comfort him as he cried out all the pain he had been holding in for so long.

When Asuka ventured an apology for forcing him to re-live it all and made it plain that he could stop if he wanted to, Shinji gave a laugh that was only slightly bitter and reminded her that it was her idea.

"Besides, we haven't reached the good stuff yet."

Wiping his face and clearing his throat, he gave Asuka a wry look as she sat back in her own chair. "Now we reach the point where it all gets really fucked up!"

Chuckling at her expression, he continued, "Less than a day after all that happened, the ruling council of SEELE, NERV's bosses, decided to initiate Third Impact."

"SAY _WHAT!_"

"It's true. With the Angels out of the way, they could begin humanities next evolutionary step without outside interference. For that was the entire point of the existence of NERV. Not to save humanity from the Angels or prevent Third Impact from happening, but to safeguard SEELE's own plans."

Asuka stared at him with complete incomprehension etched onto her face.

"My thought's exactly. Anyway, as they were starting to note Gendo Ikari's own ideas for how Third Impact should proceed, their first step was to neutralise NERV. By sending the J.S.S.D.F. in to kill everyone they could find. Including the First, Second and Third Children."

"Your kidding, right? You, me and wondergirl!"

"Yes. That was what you woke up in the middle of, their attempts to kill us."

"Us? Did they get to you, too?"

"Almost. Misato swooped down like, well, an avenging angel and killed the squad that was about to kill me. She then got me to an elevator and sent me up to my EVA."

"Way to go, Misato! What happened to her then?"

"I guess she died. Last I saw of her, she was bleeding badly from a gut wound."

Scorn poured off her in waves. "And you just _left_ her!"

Pain filled his eyes. "I didn't have a choice! She threw me in and sent me on my way before I realised what she was going to do! Besides, I wasn't in such great mental shape at the time, anyway." Another bitter laugh escaped his lips, " Which is how he wanted it."

"Who?"

"My father, the Commander." He spat.

Now she was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it. If your going to use kids to defend mankind, wouldn't it make sense to make sure that they were all well adjusted, mentally?"

"Welllllll . . ."

"Instead, you have two pilots who lost their mothers at an early age and whose fathers abandoned them soon after."

"Yes but . . ."

"Abandonment. Trust issues. Being shifted around a lot. No chance to form close friendships our own age. All designed to produce pilots that were emotionally fucked up with low self-esteem. And because we were so screwed up, we wouldn't . . . couldn't reach out to each other for friendship and support."

"And, as EVA pilots, we would never really open up to and relate to our classmates. We couldn't. They could never fully understand what we went through every day to pilot."

Images of the many awkward silences in Hikari's room flashed through her mind.

"We were isolated and alone. Which-is-how-they-wanted-us!"

" . . . why?"

"So that when they initiated Third Impact using an EVA, the pilot would be easily bent to their will. An emotional blank slate, devoid of any independant thought or action. No chance of any random factor upsetting their goal. In fact, the state we were in, we would have welcomed oblivion. I almost did."

Asuka processed this for a moment, then asked the obivous question, "So, what happened?"

The boy grinned, "Well, it turns out that for all their planning and fore-knowledge of the events that happened, they had three things going against them."

"And they were . . . "

"First, that the information they had would only ever take them to a certain point, but not past it."

She nodded in understanding, "So, they knew Third Impact was going to happen, but not what came after it."

"Right! Second: Gendo Ikari. As the person they tapped on the shoulder to make all their dreams come true, he had acess to the same data. After my mother was absorbed into my EVA eleven years ago, he saw a-"

"Woah, woah, back up. Say that last bit again."

"My mother, Yui Ikari, is in my EVA." He thought for a moment, then clarified, "The same way I was for that month."

" . . . Huh?"

"Don't look so shocked. Your mother is in yours, too."

"WHAT! HOW! WHEN!"

"I will explain later."

"Like hell! Explain now. You can't just drop something like that in the conversation and leave it dangling."

Shinji gave a frustrated sigh, "I understand, Asuka. But I have to tell this in my own way." Seeing she wanted to argue further, he reassured her. "Later, I promise."

Guessing that he might stop talking altogether if she pressed the point, she relented. "Allright. I'll hold you to that."

"Good. Now, where was I? Oh yes. When she was taken into EVA, he re-read the prophecy's and saw a golden opportunity to bend events to his will and be re-united with her. But for his plan to work, he needed his own catalyst. Which is where Rei came in."

"Wondergirl? What does that emotionless. . . doll. . . " She wound down as comprehension dawned.

"You're starting to see the pattern, aren't you. And so very elegant, to hide the instrument of his plan in plain sight."

"So, what was his plan?"

"To combine myself, my mother, Rei and himself with Adam (the first human which he aquired from Kaji), and Lillith (which was in Central Dogma and was what the Angels were after) into one big happy family slash blobby thing which may or may not have remained separate from the rest of instrumentality."

". . . your father was insane."

"I told you we were only just getting to the really fucked up stuff." he smirked.

"Your not kidding." Asuka agreed, shaking her head.

"And was it any more insane than trying to initiate Third Impact in the first place."

"Good point. He was still many, many cards shy of a full deck, though."

"No," he said with great pity, "He just wanted his whole family together again. Silliest thing is that if he had followed SEELE's senario, we would have been together, anyway."

Asuka gave him a sad look, "You know that wouldn't have satisfied him. He wanted total control. Nothing else would be enough."

"Maybe. Still doesn't change the fact he was a major prick."

"True." Something occured to her. "Could you back up a bit."

"Sure."

"What was so different about wondergirl?"

"Well, for starters, she wasn't born of man or woman."

"Huh?"

"She was created, in secret, by combining the D.N.A. of Yui Ikari and a sample of the entity that was responsible for second impact."

"SAY WHAT!"

"Which would make her either my aunt or my half-sister. I'm not sure."

"Your taking this very calmly."

"I've had more time to get used to the idea. Anyway, the point of her existence was to create a being that was Angelic but could be communicated with and controled. So when Third Impact started, my father had a way of steering the flow of events, through Rei, towards a more favourable conclusion for himself."

"So what happened?"

"The third thing this whole senario couldn't cope with; humanity's capacity for free will."

"Who's?"

"Mine."

"_YOURS?_" Disbelief filled the words. "Were you even capable of making that sort of decision, then?"

"Actually, Rei started the ball rolling by defying my father to come and help me."

To say Asuka was stunned by this knowledge would have been an understatement. "Y'know, I have just about reached the limit of my capacity to be surprised."

"You wish! There's more to come, yet. So, instrumentality happened, everyones souls got thrown together and we bravely stepped forward as one big, happy species climbing to the next rung on the evolutionary ladder."

"But. I sense a 'but' coming."

"But, the catalyst and focal point of all this had a few. . . issues that he still had to resolve first." He shrugged. "And the whole process was stuck in neutral until I resolved them." Shinji looked distinctly sheepish while Asuka thought carefully about the implications of what he had just said.

"_BWAA-HA-HA-HA!_"

Now he just looked pissed at her response to what was, at the time, some very deep and personal internal conflicts. "It's not that funny, Asuka."

"Bullshit, it isn't. _Haa-ha-ha_. The whole of humanity, stuck twiddling their thumbs, because you were feeling hard done by. _Ha-ha_. I think I'm going to wet myself!"

"Oh, grow up."

"One in a million, Shinji. You are one-in-a-million.(SNORT)"

"Moving right along, I did eventually sort myself out, thank you very much, and to cut a long story short, I decided that this world was worth coming back to, despite the pain it causes me sometimes. I also made sure that anyone who wanted to come back, could. THE END."

'Like hell.' Asuka thought when she realised he was serious about ending it there. "That's not the end by a long shot, Third Child. You've got some large holes to plug in that story first. Starting with: how do you know all this?"

He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'm not exactly sure, but I do have a theory. Seeing as I was one of the stars of this demented show, I figure I would have greater access to the memories passing by me. Remember, Rei and I were the gate through which everyones soul passed. I'm guessing that while I wouldn't have direct access to everything everyone remembers, It's possible I could note and retain any knowledge that pertained directly to myself. Rei's origins, for example. There were only three people left alive who had the full story of that on earth. As two of them got swept up during instrumentality, their knowledge became mine."

"Only two? Who didn't make the cut?"

"My father." An annoyed expression cut across his face. "Something else happened to him and it's been hidden from me. All I get when I try to focus on it is that whatever it was, it was unpleasant."

"My heart bleeds."

"Yeah, mine too. Anyway, thats my theory. For whatever reason, I took certain knowledge from certain people and buried it in the back of my mind. Accessing it is somewhat hit-and-miss and only really works when I zone out a bit."

"I noticed that when you were in storytelling mode. Sounds like something I read in college. Aparently, we humans only use about ten to fifteen percent of our minds full potental. The rest is what's known as our subconcious." Asuka's head tilted to one side, trying to dredge up the necessary memories. "It can usually only be acessed through our dreams, or via hypnosis. Does that sound about right?"

Shinji smiled, "Pretty much. It explains a lot, too. The only difference is that all I need is a single, key thought, and I will get a cascade of information flash by. But not a lot of detail. Just flashes and an emotional resonance." He shook his head. "It's very dis-orienting."

"I'll bet. Is that what happened to you, yesterday, at breakfast?"

"What! Oh, yes."

"Sounds like 'brainfart' was the perfect way to describe it." She giggled.

"HA! Pretty much."

Asuka's next question sucked any good feelings out of him, fast.

"So, what happened to all the soldiers? I'm surprised we haven't seen any, yet." Totally mis-understanding his horrorfied expression, she pressed on quickly, "Not that I want to, of course. Probably shoot us on sight, the bastards."

"Won't happen." He answered in a flat monotone.

"Huh! Why not?"

"Because no soldiers came back."

Now she was really confused. "But why? How do you know this, Shinji?"

"None of the council of SEELE came back either." There was zero inflection in the boys voice.

Unease started to creep into her tone. "How do you know that, Shinji. Answer me. You said-"

"I know what I said Asuka. But SEELE and any J.S.S.D.F. soldiers that took part in the attack on NERV are not returning. They have been sent on to wherever we go when we die."

A terrible suspicion started to bloom in Asuka's mind. In a small voice, she asked the question she really didn't want answered, "How do you know this, Shinji?"

"Because I sent them."

--------------------

Notes: Hey y'all. Long time, no see. Sorry about the long break but it's been a messy few weeks. As you can see, I'm learning how to leave everyone dangling. The next chapter will be just as nasty. But, by part three the sun will start to shine again. So hang around. Bring popcorn!

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	6. Chapter 6

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

by: TEZZA1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: GAINAX and Anno own everything Evangelion. I barely own my own mind. Please, let me keep it!

----------

Notes: Well, Shinji dropped quite a bombshell on Asuka last chapter. Her reaction?

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

* * *

DAY THREE Part Two

"**WHAT!**"

"You heard me."

Asuka's first reaction was disgust and horror:

"And what the hell gave you the right to do that to them! Gott im Himmel, that's over two thousand lives! Okay, they were sent here to kill us, I will grant you that, but to commit mass murder on some childish whim? When did you decide to become Judge, Jury and executioner for the human race?"

Shinji had thought that after all he had told her so far, she would understand. At least a little. Having her dress him down like this without even letting him try to explain his actions was too much for him. All the guilt, rage and frustration of the last few days, heck, the last few years of his life burst out all at once. Slamming his tightly clenched fist down on the table, he started screaming.

"THEY DID, WHEN THEY PUT ME IN THAT POSITION OF CONTROL OVER EVERYONE!"

Asuka pushed herself away from the table in panic. 'Christ, he's finally flipped!' She tried to reach out and soothe him. "Shinji, it's okay. Calm down."

He slapped her hand away, hard. "FUCK YOU!"

Holding it protectively to her chest, tears started to form as she watched this person that was fast becoming so dear to her, lose it completely. "Shinji-"

"BY MAKING ME THE CENTRE OF INSTRUMENTALITY, THEY MADE ME THEIR JUDGE!"

"Please, Shinji-" She backed away until she came to the wall.

"BY KILLING EVERYONE THEY COULD FIND AT NERV, THEY MADE ME THEIR JURY!"

"-I'm sorry. Please-" Crouching down, she tried to make herself as small a target as possible for his verbal barrage.

"I COULD FEEL THEM ALL IN MY HEAD AS THEY PASSED THROUGH ME, PLEADING FOR MERCY. FOR A CHANCE TO LIVE."

"-your scaring me." She watched as he gripped the table so hard, she thought it would snap.

"SO I GAVE THOSE BASTARDS ALL THE MERCY THEY DESERVED. THE SAME MERCY THEY WERE GOING TO SHOW US!"

"I believe you. Please stop." All the while, she could not tear her eyes from his. From the pain she saw there.

"THEY KILLED MISATO!" He trembled violently at that memory.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I don't blame you for being angry." Asuka maintained eye contact, desperately trying to convey to him the honesty of her words.

Some part of this attempt must have gotten through, because Shinji suddenly deflated and collapsed to his knees. Bringing his hands to his face, he began to weep.

"They shot her in front of me and all she could think of was keeping me safe and she told me to be brave and then she kissed me and sent me to EVA. They didn't deserve to live and oh God I killed them all."

Sensing the storm had passed and unable to stop herself, Asuka got to her feet and cautiously approached the sobbing boy. Tentatively reaching out, she touched his cheek. "Shhh. I understand. I don't hate you. Shhh."

"Why not. I'm a monster. I'm as bad as my father."

When he did not pull away at her touch, she knelt beside him and put her arms around him. Stroking his hair, she whispered, "No, your not. Don't ever say that."

"Why not. I am."

"No, your not!" She replied more forcefully. "Like you said, Shinji, we were pushed into becoming the way we were by them. If they weren't prepared for us to snap and bite them on the ass, that's their fault. Not ours."

"But like you said, I killed so many-"

"And you will find a way to live with that." Asuka interrupted, firmly. "I will help you. You aren't a monster. Like me, your someone that they pushed too far." Feeling his trembling start to subside, she pressed on. "Look, I'm sorry I reacted the way I did. The thought of my kind, gentle Shinji doing something like that, freaked me out. I apologise for not hearing you out and trying to understand."

Shinji looked up with so much naked hope on his face she nearly started crying again. "Really?"

"Absolutely. And I apologise for breaking my promise about not losing my temper." Leaning in until they were cheek to cheek, she whispered in his ear, "Forgive me?"

"Always." He said, grateful that she wanted to give him a second chance.

"Thank you." She answered, thinking the same thing.

They stayed there for a time, holding each other tightly, re-affirming their bond. Tears dried, emotions steadied and thoughts calmed. Soon, they both leant back and looked into the others eyes. A brief kiss later, they stood up and sat down at the table again.

Taking a deep breath, Asuka prepared herself to ask the question Shinji had been trying to avoid.

"Shinji."

"Yes?"

"What did you mean, before? About my mother."

Closing his eyes and tilting his head back, he gathered his thoughts. 'I really don't want to answer this.'

Just as she was about to repeat the question, he spoke, "What do you remember about your fight with the rest of the EVA series?"

Wondering at where he was headed with this, she decided to play along.

"Not much, really. Just bits and pieces. The pain of how it ended sort of clouds over everything else."

He nodded, sympathetically. "I understand. Now, I need you to think back to when your EVA activated."

Asuka shrugged and complied.

"What were you feeling? What was going through your mind? Who did you make contact with?"

Her face screwed up in concentration. "I remember . . . not wanting to die." A memory slammed into place.

"Then, I heard a . . . a heartbeat. A heartbeat that wasn't mine."

"Go on."

"And then this feeling washed over me. The most incredible feeling of . . . " Her eyes met his in shock.

He nodded. "It's okay. You can say it. I'll believe you. I've felt it, too."

" . . . oh God, it felt like my mother. Like the love she used to have for me before she got sick." Asuka hugged herself in memory. "I hadn't felt that way for so long."

Shinji smiled. "How did you feel?"

"Like she was there for me and would protect me. She was in my EVA, protecting me all along. All that time, she was there and I didn't know." She gave a bitter laugh. "Wondergirl once told me that if I didn't open myself to my EVA, it would never work as well as it should. That must have been what she was alluding to."

The boy's smile turned sad. "Now you know the secret of how the EVA's operate. They need a human soul to interface with the pilot. And what closer bond is there than the one between a mother and her child." He sighed.

"What happened to my mother was an accident. She was absorbed totally, just like I was that time. With your mother, they tried something different, but with similar results. In her case, only her mind was absorbed." He greeted her shocked look with sympathy. "Not all of it, just the best parts of her. What came back to you was just an empty shell of the woman she had been. Broken and incomplete." He shook his head. "No wonder she eventually hung herself. I'm just sorry it was you that found her."

Asuka looked up sharply at what he had just said. "How do you know that, Shinji. I've never told you anything about my past. Especially about that."

'Uh-oh. Here it comes' "You didn't have to, Asuka. Not after Third Impact." He whispered in shame.

Shock once again started to give way to anger. "You mean to tell me that one of the minds you decided to raid for information was mine!"

His mouth worked, trying to find the words to explain.

"You just went into my memories without my consent and took whatever you wanted." Her voice was thick with contempt. "There's a word for that, Shinji. A very ugly word. After what happened to me with the fifteenth angel, I thought you would know better."

That prodded him into action. "NO, Asuka! I did _not_ rape your mind. I didn't even know I was doing it, to _anyone_. Please believe me." Going around the table and kneeling next to her, he begged, "I would _never_ do something like that on purpose, you know that. It's all buried in my sub-conscious. I can't get at it, even if I wanted to. I didn't even know it was there until yesterday morning. I didn't ask for this to happen, Asuka. Please believe me."

"I want to, Shinji. I really do." Forcing herself to be calm and focusing on her promise, she continued talking.

"How much do you know. And please answer honestly."

With great reluctance, he answered her, "Potentially, everything. But-" He continued quickly, not letting her speak, "It's not like I have an index for it all. It's just one big jumble in there. Just random thoughts floating around. And I would never go looking for them."

She fell into deep thought at that. With nothing to add, he kept quiet as well. They stayed that way for a long time as Asuka sorted through her feelings about the situation. When she felt she had done so, she turned to Shinji and spoke.

"It's not that."

"Then, what?" His confusion was clear.

"I have spent a lot of time trying to bury and forget my past, Shinji. To know that you have access to it whenever you want, scares me." Putting her hand over his mouth, she continued, "I wanted you to find out about me through sharing with me. Pieces at a time. At my own pace. Not all at once. Not like this."

"Asuka-"

"Now you know everything about me and-"

"Asuka! Listen to me. Please! I'm not going to hate you, or run away and abandon you. Our lives are so similar in so many ways." Taking her hand, he tried to convince her. "I am so very sorry this happened. If I could give you every thought in my head, I would. No hesitation. I want you, only you. And I want to share myself with you. Now and forever."

Tears formed as she looked into Shinji's eyes and saw only his fear at losing her. "Really?"

"Really."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now and forever."

Giving in to the fear of losing him and the hope that he would never knowingly hurt her, Asuka decided to give him a chance. "Okay"

"Oh, thank you." He said, as he let out the breath he had been holding and hugged her again.

After a time, she leant back and spoke.

"Shinji, could I ask a favour?"

"Sure. Anything."

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but could I have some time to process all of this?"

His fear returned with a vengeance. "What?"

She gave him a quick kiss. "It's nothing personal. And I'm not sending you away so I can sneak off, or anything. I just . . . need some time alone to sort all this out in my head. Please?"

"Are you sure? You're not going to do anything silly?" He persisted, remembering what happened the last time she decided she wanted to be alone.

Asuka remembered it, too, and re-assured him. "Yes, I'm sure. I will be here when you return, I promise."

Still feeling doubtful but in no position to argue, he relented. "Okay. I'll just go for a walk."

Grabbing an umbrella on his way to the door, Shinji let Asuka seal her promise to him with a lingering kiss in the doorway. Releasing him slowly, she whispered for him to come back in a few hours, "I should have my head back on straight by then."

Giving her one last look of longing mixed with understanding, he opened the umbrella and made his way to the stairs. Turning at the bottom, he gave her a hesitant wave and started walking without waiting to see whether she returned the gesture.

Making sure the direction he chose to wander in was the opposite of the mall, Shinji tried to figure out a way to mend the bridges he had damaged with Asuka without falling to despair.

"Why did I open my mouth? Why didn't I just shut up when I had the chance?"

_'Because It's Asuka.' _

"So. Doesn't mean I had to keep talking?"

_'She deserves the truth.'_

"I know that, but-"

_'Now, rather than later.'_

"Yeah, but-"

_'Would you rather lie to her. Or worse, let her find out on her own. She's very smart. It's part of what you admire about her, remember.'_

"I know that! But I still hurt her."

_'True. You would have hurt her more if you hadn't.'_

"Oh really. How?"

_'Right now, you have her trust and her love. If you had kept this from her, it would have poisoned that.'_

"I guess . . . "

_' "You guess" nothing! It's the truth. This way, it's out in the open and you can both start to deal with it.'_

"You think so?"

_'I know so. Trust me. I am you, after all.'_

"I suppose."

He pondered something for a moment.

"Hey! How do I know Asuka loves me? She's never said anything to me like that."

_'Y'know, I'm not sure I want to be a voice in the mind of someone so dense.'_

"HEY! Cut that out. And answer the question."

_'Okay, for those of me who haven't been paying attention the past couple of days: SHE'S BEING NICE TO YOU! SHE'S KISSING YOU! SHE'S EVEN CRAWLING INTO BED WITH YOU!'_

"Oh yeah." Touching his lips at the memory. "She is, isn't she."

_'Plus, the fact that you're becoming the person she's always wanted to see in you, doesn't hurt your case, either.'_

"Really?" He thinks for a moment. "I am, aren't I." A sad expression crosses his face. "But how I know this is the cause of my problems. Damnit, I really wanted to learn about Asuka the old fashioned way. Not like this."

_'But you don't really know all of what's in Asuka, do you. You were speaking the truth to her when you said it was almost impossible to access any of the information in your head. And your not the type of person who would exploit any of the flashes you could get, are you?'_

"Absolutely not!"

_'So, what's the problem? All you have to do is make sure she never has a reason to doubt what you said to her, before.'_

Shinji smiled at this. "Your right. And it will be easy enough to get her to believe me because she always knows it when I try to lie to her. I just have to keep telling her the truth."

_'Exactly!'_

At finding a way to resolve the tension that was threatening to come between himself and Asuka, Shinji allowed a rare, genuine smile to light up his face.

"And I know just what to help me get my point across. It's time I prepared a real meal for Asuka!"

Still smiling, he started to think of what he would need for tonight, unaware that during his introspective wanderings, he had been noticed by others.

----------

Asuka watched Shinji give his small wave and walk off with the same expression fixed on her face that she had coaxed him out of the apartment with. She waited until she was sure he was not coming back anytime soon before she shut and locked the door. Leaning back against the wall, she let out a shuddering breath as her face began to screw up with emotion.

"damnit. damnit. Damnit. Damnit. _Damnit! Damnit!_ _DAMNIT! DAMNIT!_ **_DAMNIT! SHINJI! DAMNIT!_**"

Whacking her head against the wall in time with the 'damnit's' harder and harder, she finally let out a scream of rage and punched a hole in the opposite wall.

Having finally given physical release to enough emotion to get herself under control, Asuka withdrew her fist and looked at it from all angles. 'That was childish, even for me.'

"Damn you, Shinji. Why?" She said in a tired voice.

Walking to the bathroom to wash off the bits of wall from the damage she had inflicted herself, Asuka continued her internal dialogue.

"Why did you have to know?"

Holding it under the tap, she rinsed it thoroughly.

"Why couldn't you have left it alone?"

Drying it gently, she did not bother trying to bandage it.

"Why am I so afraid of losing you?"

Succumbing to the exhaustion of the morning, she headed towards a bed.

"Why do I still need you so much?"

Finding one, she collapsed into it and curled up around a pillow before drifting off into a restless sleep.

"Why?"

---Time passes---

Asuka awoke suddenly. Looking around, she tried to place where she was. Realising that she had curled up on Shinji's bed brought a small smile to her lips. Then the memories of that morning flooded back in.

'So it wasn't just a bad dream. Scheiss!'

Feeling worse than when she had lain down, she stretched herself out to uncramp some muscles. A twinge of pain made her stop. Looking at her left hand, she was trying to figure out why it was stuck to the sheets when her actions in the entranceway came back to her.

"I have really got to work on controlling my temper." She moaned as she tried to remove her hand without re-opening the wound. Having no success, she settled for pulling it away quickly and doing some fast first-aid.

After re-cleaning and dressing the wound, Asuka was winding on a bandage when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her eyes hardened as she traced the path of her scars for the umpteenth time. Then, she remembered what Shinji had said about them, and her expression softened.

"He cares. He's proven that he cares, over and over again. So why should it matter that he now knows me inside and out. It's nothing I wouldn't have told him, eventually. Do I really think he would use what he learned to hurt me? Is it so hard to forgive him for something that wasn't entirely under his control?"

Looking hard at her reflection for any sign of doubt in her eyes, she finally smiled. She knew her answer.

"Damn baka is getting under my defences way to easily. This would have been worth months of tantrums and punishments a few weeks ago. I must really like the little hentai to forgive him this quickly."

Sighing at the amount of effort it was taking to sustain this level of maturity, Asuka just hoped that Shinji would continue to prove himself worthy of it.

Humming to herself as she straightened up the unit and tried to figure out a way to hide the physical evidence of her loss of control, it slowly dawned on her that Shinji was taking his sweet time about returning. Hot on the heels of this thought was the question of just how long had she been asleep, anyway? To help this growing unease bloom a bit faster was the sight of the sun, peeking through the rain clouds, getting very close to the horizon. What finally turned all this into real fear was the fact that the only thing she could do was sit and wait. Going out to look for him would be utterly useless. Where would she start? What direction would she look in? Has he had an accident? What if someone's got to him? What would she use to light her way? These questions and more started to chase each other around her head. Faster and faster. Possibilities and scenarios, each more dire than the last, joined the questions and added to her growing sense of panic. A scream started to build within her slowly, working it's way up past her self control. Patiently waiting for the moment when all the bad thoughts would rise up and drown her in fear and madness.

She was almost there. Right at the edge.

So, the scream was bitterly disappointed when a heavy knock, followed by Shinji's voice, came from the other side of the front door.

_'Oh poop_.' It thought as relief flooded through Asuka's brain, forcing it back down into the dark recesses of her mind. _'Maybe next time.'_

"Damnit, baka, you scared the crap out of me." Asuka yelled as she went to open the door. "Where the hell have you been! I've been worried out of my mind. You ever pull a stunt like this on me again and I'll kill . . . you . . . " Her voice trailed off as she opened the door and got a look at the object of her fury.

"Would you mind taking a number, Asuka? It seems there's a few people in front of you with the same idea." Shinji tried to joke as he collapsed at her feet in a bloody heap.

"OH MEIN GOTT! What happened to you? Who did this?" She screeched as she crouched down to stop him sliding onto the floor.

"He was returning here when he was attacked by a man. I intervened." Came the answer in a soft voice. The owner of the voice quickly stepped inside. Locking the door behind her, she placed the two backpacks she had been carrying against the wall.

"Who's this, Shinji?" Asuka asked as she tried to look after him and glance at her at the same time. Ignoring the other two, the stranger took off her waterproof overcoat and hung it on a hook next to the door. Turning, she headed deeper into the unit, looking for something.

"Could I lie down somewhere, it's been a long day. And don't worry about her, Asuka, She's a . . . friend." Shinji pleaded as he struggled to his feet and headed towards the couch, with Asuka's help.

"I am somewhat more than that now, Shinji Ikari." The visitor smiled to herself.

Still focused on her new boyfriend, Asuka did not immediately notice the gender of their guest. "First-aid kit is in the bathroom, if that's what you're looking for, stranger." She said over Shinji's shoulder. When a feminine 'thank you' came back, she finally realised that _another girl had brought her Shinji back in this state_. With all consideration to his current condition, she asked just what the hell was going on with almost Ghandi-like restraint.

"It will take both of us to explain what happened this afternoon. Have you got it yet?" He called over his shoulder.

"Yes. I am coming." Said a voice that sounded almost familiar.

As the other female came fully into the room, Asuka finally got a good look at her. It was a shock, to say the least.

The dark brown hair, those deep blue eyes. These features belong to the young man in front of her. But the face, that voice and the pale skin? Those belong to someone else. Someone she really could have gone without ever seeing again. Not all the pieces fit together yet, but her identity was unquestionable.

"Wondergirl?"

* * *

Notes: to those nice people who asked some questions while they took the time to review the last chapter, I hope this one provided a few answers. And **NO, **I haven't abandoned this story thankyouverymuch! The chapters are just coming out a bit slower, now. NEXT CHAPTER . . . is it really Rei? How will Asuka react if it is? And by God, don't you pity Shinji being caught in the middle (again). 


	7. Chapter 7

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

By: Tezza1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: I absolutely don't own N.G.E. I'm sure of it. It was just a dream. A really, really vivid dream. With lots of LCL and Rei clones. mmmMMMMmmm (AHEM) Anyway, GAINAX and Anno own the lot. Not me. Just so we're clear. (SIGH) And it was such a NICE dream . . .

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

Notes: Who has made herself at home with the pilots? Find out in the next two inches of screen space!

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DAY THREE Part three

"Correct, Pilot Sohryu. And please, stop calling me by that ridiculous name. Rei Ayanami will suffice." A small smile played across her lips. "Although, perhaps Rei Ikari would be more accurate, now."

Asuka just sat there, looking from one to the other with complete disbelief etched on her face. Rei had sat down and started cleaning the cuts on Shinji's face before the red-head finally gathered enough wits to start peppering both of them with questions.

"What happened? Who did that to you? Where did she come from? Why does she look like you? Are you badly hurt?" She babbled.

Shinji gave Rei a look. "You go first. I'm tired."

She nodded. "Calm yourself, Pilot Sohryu. We fully intend to tell you the answers to all your questions and more, but I wish to make sure that Shinji is not seriously injured first. Please be patient for a few more minutes." Rei stated in her usual monotone as she finished cleaning his face and started putting anitseptic on the small cuts that peppered his cheeks and brow.

Winceing and ouching as Rei went business-like about her task, Shinji gave Asuka a very sympathetic look as she tried to calm herself.

"Could you put some water on to boil, Asuka. I am soaked all the way through and a warm bath will give me the chance to check if there is any other damage while I warm up. Please?"

Still shocked at how he had come back to her, and with who, she did as he asked without any of her customary complaints. After she left the room, Rei asked if she was well.

"What do you mean?"

"In all the time that I have been aquainted with Pilot Sohryu, she has never done anything for anyone, least of all you." She thought for a moment, "Or rather, not without being ordered to or without an ulterior motive. Is she ill?"

Shinji smiled, then winced. "No, she's not sick and she's not planning something. Asuka's just . . . like everyone else, she has had a chance to look at herself and reflect on a few things, lately. To put a few of her personal demons to rest, so to speak. More than that, it's not my place to say. Do you understand, Rei?"

"Somewhat. You are saying that her instrumentality experience affected her in a positive way, and her current attitude is a result of that."

"More or less." He shrugged. "Just try not to draw too much attention to it as she is still getting used to her changes herself."

"Very well. I will try." Finishing up, she leant back to inspect her handiwork. "I would suggest taking some of these painkillers soon." Taking the bottle from the large case and closing it, her budding sense of curiousity got the better of her. "Where did you get such a well-equiped first-aid kit from? It is not something normally found in a household such as this one." she looked around to emphasise her point.

"Asuka liberated it from an abandoned ambulance, yesterday. We thought it might come in handy, but not so soon. And certainly not like this."

"Why not? Is this not it's function?"

"Well, yes, but I was not expecting to get beaten up."

"Okay Shinji, tubs ready." Asuka announced as she came back into the room and walked over. Leaning in, she asked Rei to grab his other arm and together, they walked him to the bath, slowly.

"I've dissolved some Epsom Salts into the water. It should help with any bruising." She said as they leant him against the rim and stepped back.

"Thank you, Asuka. And you, Rei." He smiled at them gratefully. "Now, could I have some privacy for a few moments, please." For some reason, colour started coming to his cheeks.

Both girls protested at that. Asuka demanded to know why, and Rei stating that it would be dangerous for him to bathe without supervision in his current condition. He could drown.

"I understand that, but-"

"'But' what!" demanded Asuka, hands on hips.

Turning a bit pinker, he answered, "Because, I want to check and see if little Shinji and his two eva's are okay."

It took a moment, but both girls got what he was alluding to.

"Oh, allright. But it's not as if I haven't . . . " Asuka went beetroot red and clasped both hands over her mouth.

"'Haven't' what?" Shinji asked. His tone was somewhere between indignant and flattered.

"Nothing!" Turning, she fled the room quickly, before she let anything else slip.

Rei looked from Asuka's retreating form to Shinji's confused face with an expression that said 'what on earth has been going on here the past three days', before following her out of the room and shutting the door.

"Please inform us when you have finished your . . . inspection, and are in the bath, Shinji."

"Okay, Rei."

Carefully removing his clothes so as not to strain his already abused body, Shinji looked in the mirror and groaned at his reflection. Deep bruises were everywhere on his slender frame. The most spectacular ones were across his chest and around his left eye. The rest were not as bad owing to the cushioning effect of his clothes and backpack. After a quick look down his briefs to reassure him that everything was indeed where it was supposed to be, he set about easing himself into the bath. 'Hmm, Asuka must have added something else to the water. Feels nice.'

Lying up to his neck in the cloudy water, he called to the girls that it was safe to come back in. Asuka re-entered the room cautiously, as if not sure about what she would see. Rei just strode in. Both of them took a seat on either side of the bath in such a way that they could face both him and each other in a loose triangle.

"You comfortable now, baka?"

"Yes Asuka. The waters just right and it feels so good to be warm again, after walking around soaked."

"Good." She nodded before ripping into him. "Now, what the HELL happened to you after you left here? Were you stupid enough to go back to that mall, or what?"

Shinji gave her a harsh glare which she shrugged off. "Well, after our little talk, I decided to make it up to you by cooking a real dinner tonight. So, I headed in the opposite direction of the mall, thank you, and started looking. I had to walk a long way, but I eventually found a shop with the ingredients I needed. This," He pointed to his eye. "happened while I was coming back."

/FLASHBACK\\\\\\\\\\

Shinji had been walking along with his head down, his mind filled with recipes for that night's meal and possible senarios with Asuka. So it was understandable that, as he rounded the corner, he did not notice the fist heading towards his face.

POW

The impact pushed him into the building, bouncing his head off the wall. A second fist followed up into his stomach and a third blow connected with the back of his head as he doubled over, sending him to the ground. Gasping in pain and fighting for breath, he almost did not hear his assailant gloating over him.

"Surprise! Betcha didn't think I had gotten a good look at you and that red-headed bitch as you ran off yesterday!"

He delivered a kick to Shinji's groin before continueing.

"It wasn't nice to leave those crates across the doorway."

Another kick, this time into his ribs.

"Someone could have been seriously hurt. Like me!"

The small of his back took the next boot.

"Kids! No respect for their elders, these days."

Ribs again.

"And where were you heading with so much food? Back to your girlfriend?"

He stepped hard on Shinji's hand as he made a feeble grab for the backpack, grinding it into the pavement.

"Pretty little red-head. Won't you introduce us? I'm sure she'd like to meet a real man? Or three!"

The man circled Shinji, putting questions and kicks to him with equal measure. Eventually, he crouched down and, grabbing a handful of hair, pulled the groaning boys head back.

"Who are you with? Where are you living? Why is your face so familiar?" The man demanded harshly.

Shaking his head slightly, Shinji remained mute. This action only enraged his attacker further.

"Answer me, you little shit! Where is that slut hiding."

The boy just looked at him defiantly.

Slamming his head down in disgust, the man gave him one final kick in the chest and stepped back.

"Stubborn little bastard, aren't you. Well it won't do you any good in the end."

Positioning himself behind the boy's head, he lined it up with his boot.

"We'll find her, sooner or later. And then it will be party time."

Leering at the thought, he brought his foot up, preparing to stomp on Shinji.

"Don't worry too much about it, kid. You'll be long dead by the time we find her."

\\\\\/

"Wait a minute! You were just going to let him_ kill _you! You weren't going to tell him where I was?" Asuka shrieked.

Shinji shrugged. "Yes to your first question, No to your second."

This was a little too much for her. "Why?" She demanded, incrediously.

"Because with me dead, you still had a chance to escape. To survive." Came the quiet reply.

Ignoring her shocked expression, he turned to Rei.

"You will have to complete the story. I wasn't very aware of what happened next."

Rei nodded and started to speak.

/\\\\\

As the man prepared to stomp on Shinji's skull and crush it like an egg, he became aware of a whistling sound. This sound terminated, along with a length of pipe, into the side of his head. Two more quick blows and he was on his knees next to Shinji and in almost the same condition, mentally.

"Where the fuck did you come from?" Was all he had a chance to say before a final blow sent him into unconciousness.

Shinji flinched as a blurry shape leant over him.

"Are you badly injured, Pilot Ikari?" A soft, concerned voice asked.

"I don't know." He blinked. "Rei? Is that you?"

"Affirmative." Came a confident reply. "We should not remain here. Can you walk?"

"Let's find out." Gasping and sobbing at the effort, he lurched to his feet and began moving, heavily assisted by Rei. They struggled along for a few blocks before he needed to rest. Leading him out of sight, she dragged him into an abandoned building and propped him up against a wall. Breathing heavily, he turned his head and tried to focus on her through his unswollen eye.

"Thanks for saving my life, Rei." He thought for a moment. "Again."

"You are welcome, Pilot Ikari."

"And please, call me Shinji." He smiled. "You've saved my life enough times to call me by my given name. Okay?"

She thought about his request for a moment. "Very well. Shinji" She added softly.

"Good." He finally took note of her appearance. "Umm, Rei? How long have you had dark brown hair and dark blue eyes?"

Before she could answer, shock and exhaustion overcame him, and Shinji passed out.

\\\\\\\\\\END FLASHBACK/

"So, what happened then?" Asuka enquired, looking from one to the other with a polite expression on her face.

Rei answered. "I waited until Shinji revived and then we made our way back here, slowly."

"You mean it took you most of the day just to do that!" She growled. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been, waiting for you to come back." She leant forward, pointing. "Do you!"

"You were worried about me?" Shinji was suprised.

"Of course I was, baka! I know what your like, left to your own devices."

"I'm sorry, Asuka." He looked contrite. "But, in my own defence-" He sat up and exposed the rainbow of bruises across his chest. "- I've had a rough day, too."

"_Oh mein gott_!" Asuka said in horror. Even Rei looked shocked at his appearance.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry forgive me I had no idea." The red-head said over and over as she leant in and hugged him as hard as she could without hurting him.

"Are they causing you much pain, Shinji?" Rei asked as she too came over to the side of the bath for a closer look.

"Not a lot, yet. Just when I take a deep breath. Or a shallow one. Or when someone squeezes me too hard." Wincing, he attempted to peel Asuka off himself. "Asuka, I'm okay. Really."

Asuka leant back a bit and looked him in the eye, sniffling. "Yeah, but you'd say that if your leg was cut off." Leaning in, she planted a light kiss on his lips. "Why do you always put up with me and my mood swings."

Shinji tilted his head and gave her an affectionate smile. "Many reasons."

A curious voice interrupted their moment. "May I enquire as to when the two of you began a relationship?"

--------------------

More notes: Just thought I'd give y'all a break from those durn cliffhangers.


	8. Chapter 8

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

By: Tezza1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: Nah! Can't be bothered coming up with anything pithy to say here, this time. Anno and GAINAX own Evangelion. I don't. And that's the way it should be.

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

* * *

Notes: Well, their relationship is now known to Rei. How will she react? Will she try to come between them? Will she comment on Asuka's scars? Will Asuka come to terms with Reis newfound connection to Shinji? I'll get around to answering these vital questions eventually. I promise!

----------

DAY THREE Part Four

"May I enquire as to when the two of you began a relationship?" Rei asked as she observed the actions of the other two pilots.

"What! NO! I . . . We . . . Don't be . . . We aren't . . . I'm just . . . " Looking from one to the other, Asuka sputtered as her ego fought a raging battle with her blooming feelings for Shinji. Switching from Reis honestly curious expression to the growing look of pain on her new boyfriends face that had nothing to do with his injuries, she came to a decision. Mentally locking her ego in a trunk and pushing it under the bed, she smiled at Rei and answered proudly; "Last night!"

Seeing her nod, Asuka turned back and gave a stunned Shinji a not so light kiss. "Give me time." She whispered earnestly. "I'm still getting used to the idea of 'us', same as you." She leaned back to look in his eyes.

"I know. I just thought . . . "

She put a finger to his lips. "Shhh. Don't think, just rest. I'm going to get dinner started." Replacing her finger with her lips briefly, she stood and stretched. Shinji noticed her bandaged hand.

"What happened there?" He asked, pointing.

"Oh, that. I, um, lost my temper a bit after you left this morning, and punched a hole in the wall next to the door." Looking embarrassed at having to admit her loss of control to Shinji in front of Rei, she exited the room.

The other two children stared at the empty doorway.

"It is . . . comforting . . . to see that even after all the experiences we have been through, recently, some things still have not changed."

"Yeah! In a lot of ways, she's still the same Asuka."

"That is what concerns me." Rei stated quietly.

_That_ caught Shinji off guard. "What do you mean?"

Embarrassed at voicing her thought aloud, she blurted out quickly; "It is not my place to comment on your life, Shinji. I apologise."

Not wanting to lose this chance at getting Rei to open up and become more vocal, Shinji tried to ease her mind. "Rei, if you have concerns, I would like to hear them. I have always valued your opinions in the past. Knowing what we are to each other now means that you _do_ have the right to comment on my life. I may disagree with it. I may diss-regard it. But you do have the right to comment." Waiting until she had processed his words, he continued firmly; "Now, tell me what's on your mind."

"Very well."

Taking a deep breath, she started talking.

"Is this a wise undertaking, starting a relationship with the Second Child? She has never had the most stable of personalities, even amongst we Pilots. How do you know she is not using you for her own ends? How do you know she will not get bored and leave you for someone else? She has hurt you in the past. Often quite deeply. What is to stop her doing so in the future? What makes you think this relationship is real? What makes you think it will last? I do not want to see you hurt, Shinji. I have sworn to protect you from harm and I will continue to do so but I do not know how to protect you from her. From this. I . . ." Calming down, she started again in a softer tone. "I do not want to see you hurt." She finished with an almost embarrassed shrug.

"Its okay, Rei. I understand." He gave her a reassuring smile. "I have asked myself those same questions, over and over, the past couple of days. I think everyone starting a new relationship must do something similar." He gave her a shrug of his own. "And I keep coming back to the same answers."

"What answers are they?" She said.

"I trust that she won't hurt me. I believe that she want's this relationship to work as much as I do. I have hope that things will work out for the best." Another helpless shrug. "If it doesn't, well, we will know that we tried our best and that it wasn't meant to be." Seeing a distinct lack of comprehension on her face, he tried to express himself another way. "Life is risk. Opening your heart and letting someone else in is a bigger risk. However, the rewards are great, and you become more than just yourself. This is what my father miss-understood and SEELE never got: We humans _can_ share ourselves with one another. We _can_ open ourselves to one another. It is not a state that can be forced upon us. _But_, it is something we can choose to do_ if we want to_. We have the capacity for it. And if Instrumentality proved nothing else, it showed that even in '**Utopia**', even in '**Perfection**', there is pain and fear and doubt." Shinji shook his head, trying to order his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Rei. I don't seem to be able to explain myself very well. I guess what I'm trying to say is this: I like Asuka. A lot. I know who she was and I'm getting to know who she is, now. I care for her and I think I'm falling in love with her. And I know she feels all this about me as well. We occasionally argue, but we don't fight. Not like before. We're just . . . getting used to each other."

Rei looked thoughtful for a moment. "I overheard Dr. Akagi tell a story once about 'The Hedgehog's Dilemma'. Would that analogy apply to this situation?" She asked, still trying to form a frame of reference.

Shinji pondered this. "Yes, that would fit. Asuka and I are still working out where our respective 'spines' are."

Rei cocked an eyebrow. "You have _'spines'_, Shinji Ikari? I find that hard to believe."

Shinji chuckled ruefully at that. "You should have been here this morning. I almost had her cowering under the table at one point," He said, nodding at the closed door.

"I see now. Once again, I apologise for criticising your feelings for one another. I can see that you, at least, are sincere. I am content to trust your judgement about her." She decided to not voice her doubts for the moment.

"That's okay, Rei. I do understand. It came as a bit of a shock to me as well, to find out that she was willing to admit to feeling the same way about 'us' as I do. And there's no need to apologise. I asked for your opinion, didn't I?"

"True." She agreed.

"Anyway, it's nice to be able to hold a conversation with you. To hear your thoughts being given voice."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you have said more to me this afternoon than in all the time I have known you."

"Oh!" She replied, blushing a little. "That would be an accurate estimation." Thinking about it, she continued. "This need to communicate must be part of what it is to be completely human. I guess that I am still adjusting to my changed circumstances."

Shinji laughed out loud at that statement. "No need to apologise for it, Rei. We're all going through a period of readjustment to our 'changed circumstances'."

"_Dinners nearly ready!_" Came a call from the kitchen.

"True. I still feel that I should be coping better." Rei complained.

"HAH! So does everyone else on the planet. Don't worry too deeply about it. I will help you where I can. So will Asuka, if you give her a chance." He offered, hopefully.

"Hmmm. We will see."

Shinji nodded, content. "That's all I ask. Now, _shoo_. I need to dry off."

Rising and heading for the door, she opened it just as Asuka was about to knock.

"_Whoops! _My mistake. I thought your head was the door." Asuka pronounced as she rapped her knuckles against Reis forehead. "Here, give the baka these clothes to change into. Sorry, can't stay and chat, dinners almost done. Don't stay in there to long, Shinji dear, you'll prune." She said sweetly as she turned and walked away before Rei could get a word in.

Rei held her tongue as she put his clothes on the sink but gave him a confused look on her way out, as if to say 'You are falling in love with_ that_!'

After drying off, he dressed slowly, noting that the right side of his ribcage was more tender than any other part of his body.

"Oww! I don't like the feel of those. That bastard must have cracked a couple of them, this afternoon. _(sigh)_ Something else to worry about."

When he had finished, Shinji made his way carefully out of the room and towards the dining area. Rei was waiting and helped guide him to a chair at the table, before taking a seat opposite. "Do you need to have a wash or warm up, Rei? You were out in that rain longer than I was, weren't you?" He asked.

"Unnecessary, Shinji. I was dressed for this weather. You were not."

From her position at the stove, Asuka asked what Rei had been up to for the last few days. Seeing that Shinji was also showing some interest, Rei decided not to ignore the question.

"After my body and soul had re-formed inside my A.T. field, I found myself inside Terminal Dogma. Noting that Dr. Akagi had not returned and the Commander's remains, I-"

"My father's _what_! What happened to him? Wasn't he swept up in Third Impact, like everyone else?" Shinji enquired urgently.

"No, he was not. It would seem that he was bitten in half, by something. All that was left were his legs."

Shinji just looked at her with his jaw on the table. Even Asuka started to pay more attention to Reis story.

Waiting for a moment to see if anyone was going to interrupt, she continued her tale.

"As I was saying; - I started to try and find my way out and get to the surface."

"Why?" Asked Asuka.

"I . . . needed to find Shinji. To make sure he was safe. But, I kept getting diss-oriented and losing my way."

"Hmmm. I felt somewhat the same, after I came back. A good meal will give you your strength back, though." Asuka interrupted, then blushed a little. Rei was just about to ask Shinji about her reaction when she noted a dreamy expression on his face. Filing her question away for another time, she continued. "Yes, I found that out, later. At the time, it was a most disconcerting experience. So I was quite relived when Major Katsuragi found me."

"_Who_ found you?" Shinji asked, urgently.

"Major Katsuragi." Rei repeated, becoming confused.

"No. Not possible!" Disbelief and hope fought each other on his face.

"Are you sure? Because Shinji said earlier-"

"I have no reason to lie, _Second _Child. Why do you doubt my word." Rei demanded.

Before Asuka could answer the other girl's challenging tone, Shinji interrupted quickly.

"I'm sorry, Rei. I don't doubt you for a moment. It's just that . . . The last time I saw Misato, she was dying from a stomach wound."

"Oh!" That mollified Rei, somewhat. "Well, she was very much alive, when she found me."

"Thank you, God." Shinji put his head in his hands and began to weep, softly. This action startled the other girls.

"Shinji, what's wrong?"

"Are you okay?"

Shifting his hands to the side of his face and propping his elbows on the table, he directed a smile at each girl. "I'm fine. I'm just so very happy Misato's alive, that's all."

"You sure, sweetie?"

He nodded. "I'm sure. So, what happened next, Rei?"

Satisfied that he was not truly in any distress, she started talking again. "After she found me, the Major procured some clothing for me to wear and-"

Asuka interrupted again. "Why? Did you come back _naked_, or something?"

"Yes. I believe everyone did. At least, everyone at NERV."

"Oh!" Looking at Shinji, she pondered that. "I guess we got lucky, coming back fully dressed."

"Yeah." Shinji agreed in a less than enthusiastic tone. "lucky."

"_Grrrrr_! _Per_vert! Why do I put up with you?" Asuka glared.

Shinji gave her his best smile. "Many reasons."

Asuka melted inside, at that. "That's cheating, baka."

"Yup!" Grinning as she attempted to pout and failed miserably, he turned back to Rei. "So, Misato found you. Then what?"

"I was put in an open cell and they took samples after they fed me." A wry look crossed her face. "My new appearance surprised them as much as it did you two. And after that, a lot of waiting." Rei gave a sigh at the thought of just how much waiting she had done the day before. "Finally, I grew tired of giving samples and not receiving any answers to my queries. So I incapacitated the guard that was left to watch me and started looking for you."

Silence filled the room as the other two digested Rei's story.

"Okay. Dinners ready. Give us a hand, would you Wondergirl? And don't worry. It's only pasta and stuff. No meat."

Surprised at Asuka's thoughtfulness, the other girl set out the plates and cutlery quickly and sat back down. Settling an internal debate, she took a calculated risk. "It smells good. Asuka."

The girl in question paused and stared at her.

"May I call you that?"

" . . . sure. Why not. Okay."

"Thank you, Asuka. And you may call me 'Rei', if you wish to."

Asuka smirked at that as she finished putting dinner in the middle of the table. "Someday, Wondergirl. Someday."

As the three Pilots started loading up their plates, something occurred to Shinji.

"Rei, you came back right after Third Impact finished, is that right?"

"No. I believe it was sometime after sunset." She thought for a moment. "From what I overheard at NERV, everyone came back around the same time. Why?"

Shinji looked nonplussed. "Well how about that, Asuka? Looks like we had the whole world to ourselves for a few hours, that afternoon."

Asuka shrugged and kept eating.

"So, that first night, you came back. And you escaped sometime early this morning." It wasn't a quite a question.

Clearly surprised at his accurate asumption of her recent activities, she nodded.

"Well, that solves that mystery, at least." He said to himself in answer to an internal question and resumed eating.

"What mystery?" He looked up to see both girls staring at him.

"Oh, just something that's been bugging me. That's all."

He attempted to resume eating again, but found his foods path to his mouth blocked by a hand on his arm.

"Please explain?" Asuka asked, sweetly.

"I'm not sure I can."

"_Try." _

Realising that he would not be allowed to continue eating until he gave some sort of answer, he put his fork down and sighed.

"Okay. For the past few mornings, I've been waking up experiencing emotions that were very different to what I was feeling at the time. I didn't know what they were, or where they were coming from. They weren't dreams, or anything. They felt real." _Shrugs_. "Now, with Rei showing up looking like that, I think I've come up with a plausible explanation."

"Don't make me ask again, _Third Child_. Get to the point!"

"Well, Rei and I look like twins now, don't we? I mean, we won't know for sure until the doctors at NERV finish their tests, but it's a reasonable assumption. Right? So, if that's true, shouldn't we have some weird connection? Especially after Third Impact? Don't some sets of twins have that, where they can pick up on the emotions of each other? The more extreme the emotion, the clearer it would come through." Shinji warmed to his subject. "And, I felt them the strongest when I was asleep. I would be more open to outside input then, wouldn't I?"

Asuka looked doubtful. "Maybe?"

"And here's some more food for thought. Rei, how did you find me?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"You'll see, Asuka. _How did you find me Rei? _You managed to track me down very quickly in less than a day. In a major city like Tokyo-3, that would normally be impossible. And considering the condition this city is in right now, it makes your tracking me down so quickly even more amazing."

Rei looked both nervous and thoughtful at the implications. "I just knew where you were. I could feel which direction you were in. I did not have to think about it. I just knew which way I had to go to find you."

"That doesn't prove anything. She could have just been lucky." The redhead said in a less than confident tone.

"Yes, it could have just been luck finding him that quickly. But I know what I felt." Rei answered. "Your theory has merit, Shinji. When we have time, I suggest we explore this connection we now have, more thoroughly." The new siblings gave each other a small smile and resumed eating.

Asuka looked from one to the other before slowly starting to eat again, herself. Her thoughts had a jealous taint. 'Great! Just great! We finally open up to each other and _Wondergirl_ has to come along and spoil it all. _(sigh) _Shinji and I could have stayed out here for ages, all on our own. Plenty of time for me to make him mine, forever! But _nooooo! _That cow just has to show up and steal him away_. "We're connected, Shinji. Deeply connected!" _Connected, my ass! The only _connection _around here will be my fist and your face, if you try to take my Shinji away, Wondergirl! _(SIGH) _Now he's going to want to go back to NERV and make sure everyones okay. Especially Misato. **_(SIGH) _**And then they will want to run tests on all of us. Then on just those two, together. And they will get even closer. And I'll be shunted off to the side and forgotten about. **_(SIGH) _**Why did I even bother trying?'

Presently, everyone finished eating.

"That was delicous, Asuka!"

Rei echoed Shinji's compliment. "Yes. Most agreeable."

A quiet "thankyou" was all she replied with. The other two swapped glances.

'What is wrong with her, now?' Rei asked with a raised eyebrow.

'I have an idea.' Shinji answered with a conserned frown.

Asuka observed this silent exchange with growing despair. 'Wonderful! Now they don't even have to talk to each other to communicate.' Taking the dishes to the sink, she began to clean them. Anything to give her an excuse to stay away from the other two.

"Asuka?" He called after her quietly.

"What."

"Tomorrow, I think we should start to head back to the GeoFront and make contact with the others."

'Can I pick 'em or what! Now it starts.' She thought dejectedly.

"What for? Rei not enough for you? Want to throw yourself at the drunk, too?" She taunted, not facing them.

Shinji held up a hand to halt the reply about to come from Rei. "Yes, I would like to see Misato again, but that's not the main reason." Ignoring her snort of diss-belief, he continued, "It's not safe out here, anymore. Not with that gang of looters wandering about. If they find us, we won't be able to protect ourselves from them." She conceded him his point by staying silent. "On a more personal note, I am going to need propper medical attention within the next day or so. I think that bastard I met earlier may have cracked a couple of my ribs."

That got both girls attention.

Not being physically capable of shouting over the top of their volley of questions just then, he had to wait until they both wound down before speaking. "Yes, I am in pain, but those pills are keeping it at bay for now. And other than a nastier bruise than the rest, there's nothing to be seen." At that pointed remark, Asuka desisted in trying to get his shirt off for a look. "Just in case, I want to be checked out by an expert. Which means, back to NERV." He paused and waited until they both agreed. "So, let's get to bed. It's been a _long_ day and we'll need the rest for tomorrow."

At the mention of bed, Asuka yawned loudly. "Allright. Fine. Back to NERV, then." Rei nodded without comment.

Shinji relaxed somewhat at Asuka's capitulation. 'Now for the hard part.'

"Asuka. Could you help me to my room, please? Rei, do you mind finishing cleaning up?"

Getting another nod from his twin, he stood up and waited as Asuka came round the table. Taking his arm, she guided him towards the bedrooms. Her direction confused him. "Asuka, why are we heading for your room?"

"I kinda curled up in there after you left, this morning, and bled all over the sheets." She flushed a bit. "So you can have my bed and I'll put a mat down on the floor." She finished as they entered the room. Leaving him at the doorway, she went to the cupboard to pull out a matress.

"Asuka." She turned and noticed he had shut the door. "Come here."

Biting her lip nerviously, she complied. Slowly walking over to him, she stopped just out of arms reach and waited. Catching and holding her eye, he began talking.

"Asuka, I am not going to leave you. So stop thinking that right now." Taking a step forward, he put a finger to her lips to quell her protests. "Yes, Rei and I now have this strange connection and we appear to be twins. But I have never thought of her in a romantic way. At all. So there is no need to be jealous of her." Asuka gave a non-commital grunt to that. "And while I do want to see Misato again, it's because I see her as more of a mother to me than anything else. Okay?" Another grunt. "I know your as nervous about 'us' as I am. But believe me when I say to you, _I am not going anywhere without you at my side_!"

Seeing the tension start to leave her face, he silently congratulated himself for guessing what was on her mind. Stepping up to her and embracing her, he whispered in her ear. "I like you a lot, Asuka. And . . . I think I'm falling in love with you. So don't ever think I will leave you behind or forget you. Okay?"

Asuka sniffled and let a deep sigh out. "Allright."

A soft knock at the door made them both jump slightly. "May I come in?"

"Just a minute!" Asuka started to pull away as Rei's voice floated in through the door. "Wha-?" She exclaimed as Shinji continued to hold her to him.

"She knows were a couple. Where's the harm in letting her see us like this?" Feigning a hurt look, he continued, "Not ashamed of us already, are you?"

"_What! _**No! **I just-" She protested until she got a look at the amusement shining in his eyes. "Are you _teasing_ me again, Shinji Ikari?" She enquired, trying to sound annoyed.

Shinji tried his best to look innocent. "Not at all! I'm not sure I'd survive my 'punishment', this time."

The redhead giggled at the memory of what she had done to him, and where it had led, that night. "Alright. You win, Third Child."

Leaning in to seal it with a kiss, she told Rei she could enter.

"Is everything alright? You were some time in answering." She asked as she walked in on them still locked in their embrace.

"We're fine, wondergirl. Just straightening a few things out between us. That's all."

Receiving a smile of affirmation from Shinji as Asuka spoke, Rei nodded and enquired about tonight's sleeping arrangements.

"Well, his bed is a mess at the moment, so he is going to sleep in here. So I guess-"

"Rei, you can take the mattress and sleep on the floor near the bed, in here." Shinji interrupted firmly. "Asuka, if you don't mind, would you stay with me tonight?" Seeing the look forming on her face, he quickly continued. "Just in case! If something funny happens, during the night. If your close by, you could help me if I have difficulty with anything." Stepping in closer and whispering in her ear, he added, "And it will save you tripping over Rei when you try to sneak in to bed with me, during the night."

Rei wondered, again, just what had been going on between the other two pilots recently, as they both coloured slightly and Asuka giggled self-consciously.

"_Fine_. I'll be your damn nurse tonight! Just keep your hands to yourself and don't try anything perverted. Or else!" She mock threatened.

Shinji actually smirked at this. "Considering the condition I'm in at the moment, I should be trying to extract that promise out of you."

Ignoring her indignant protests, he turned to his twin and asked if she could check that all the doors and windows in the unit were locked. She complied somewhat reluctantly, as if not willing to leave them alone for even a short time. Just in case.

"I don't think she trusts us to behave ourselves." Shinji said, amused.

"What does she think we are going to do, for God's sakes! Rip all our clothes off and get busy on the bed! Don't answer that, you hentai!" She finished with a growl as a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

A small disappointed noise became a slight groan as he dis-engaged himself from her and sat down on the bed.

"You alright, sweetie?"

"Fine, beautiful. Just tired. Could you do me a favour and grab my sleeping clothes out of my room?"

Feeling a bit flustered at what he had just called her, she answered quickly. "Sure! Where are they?"

"Top drawer, white shirt and boxers. They're folded up together."

"Okay. Back in a minute."

"Thanks, Asuka."

Flashing him a bright smile, she bounced out of the room.

Shinji gave a deep sigh that became a wince of pain. "Damn, this relationship thing is hard work to keep running smoothly." Casting his mind back over his life before Third Impact, he nodded his head and smiled. "Definitely worth it, though."

Returning quickly, she handed over the clothes and sat down on the bed next to him. Shinji noted the expectant look on her face and just pointed to the door. "Out!"

"Awwww, not going to put on a show for me?"

He continued to glare at her and point.

She eventually gave up and started towards the door, teasing him as she went.

"_Meany_! You weren't this shy in the bathroom."

"I had underwear on in the bathroom." He retorted as she reached the doorway. "And make sure you shut the door all the way. No peeking!" Asuka shut the door slowly and firmly, giving him a lecherous grin as she did so.

'Still fun to tease.' She grinned as she shut the door. 'Doesn't blush as much as he used to, though. Have to work on that!'

With that, she turned and found herself almost nose to nose with Rei.

"_Aaahh_!" She yelped in surprise. "_Gott im Himmell_! Don't do that to me, Wondergirl!" She demanded as her heartbeat returned to normal.

Rei continued to stare at Asuka as she got herself back under control. Asuka finally took note of this. "What?"

"Why?"

"'_Why'_ what!"

"Why him? Why now? You have made no secret of your contempt for Shinji, in the past. What has motivated this change of heart within you?"

"That is between myself and Shinji, and is absolutely none of your business, Wondergirl." Asuka tried to walk away in an attempt to dismiss the other girl. She was not successful.

"You are mistaken, Second Child. It is very much my business."

'_This aught to be good._' She thought as she looked down at the other girl. "Really! And whatever gives you that idea, _First Child_?"

Rei hesitated slightly, settling an internal debate, then answered. "Befor you arrived in Japan, Asuka, I gave my word to Shinji that I would protect him from harm. With my life, if need be." She grimaced. "At the time, I was easily replaceable, and did not hold myself in high regard as an individual."

Asuka was faintly disturbed at the level of emotion emenating fom the girl.

"He showed me, over time, that I was indeed an individual, and that I was worthy of thinking of myself as such." A small, bitter laugh escaped her. "Even though I am not quite that person, anymore, I still hold myself to that promise." She finished firmly. Asuka wasn't impressed.

"So? What's all that got to do with me?"

"You are in a position to do more harm to Shinji than anyone else on this planet." Rei waited until compression dawned before continuing. "What his father did to him. What Kaoru did to him. All of that will seem as nothing, compared to the impact of you breaking his heart."

Asuka was totally shocked at the point Rei was making. "_WHAT_! I would never-"

"I do not care what you would or would not do." Rei interrupted firmly. "While Shinji is very strong when he needs to be, he has been hurt terribly by people he has trusted in the past." Her eyes bored into the other girl's soul. Searching. "For whatever reason, he has decided to open himself to you. Be very sure within yourself that you want what he has to offer. Do not abuse that trust."

Reacting to the threatening tone in Rei's voice, Asuka tried to rally herself. "Or you'll do what, Wondergirl? Glare me to death?"

The temprature seemed to plumet in the hallway as Rei stepped closer and said in a soft, steely voice. ""I was raised by Gendou Ikari. The coldest, hardest, most evil and manipulative son of a bitch to ever walk the earth. I remember everything he taught me. I remember everything I observed him do to those around him. If you hurt Shinji Ikari in any way, shape or form, you will find out, in slow and painful detail, just what I am capable of."

Asuka's first thought was to laugh in her face. Surprise followed quickly at hearing Rei swear. She didn't think the girl could, much less would. As Rei continued to stare at her, it slowly sunk in that she was completely serious. Finally, Asuka realised that Rei had boxed her in, very neatly. If she tried to retaliate against Rei at all, physically or otherwise, she would lose Shinji by default.

The boy in question chose that moment to put in an appearance.

"Everything okay out here?" He queried as the two girls moved apart.

"Fine, my brother. Asuka and I were just . . . clarifying some points of interest between us."

"What she said, sweetie. It's fine. Really." She stated as he turned to her, confused.

"Um, okay. Could you help me to the bathroom? I want to clean my teeth. Rei, grab a nightshirt out of the cupboard and change, while we're gone."

Giving each other a long look, the girls moved to comply with Shinji's requests.

When they reached the bathroom, Asuka quickly closed the door and filled Shinji in on what had just happened.

"She _What_!" He asked increduously.

"She threatened me. Rei actually threatened me. ME!" Asuka paced the room and fumed.

"Why?"

"Well, she's got the crazy idea that I'm going to hurt you. That our relationship is just some cruel game on my part." She threw her hands up in disgust at the very thought.

Shinji pondered this. "I can see why she would think that."

Asuka rounded on him, eyes blazing with fury. "WHAT!"

"Hear me out, please! I don't think for a moment she's right. I know what we have is real. I just said that I can see why she would think that."

Calming down at his words, Asuka started to pay attention.

"Now, think about it. The last time you two saw each other was quite a while ago. She doesn't know how you've changed. How we've changed. So, it's only natural for her to be worried about your motives." Reaching out, he took her hands in his. "I, however, have no doubts." Raising them to his lips, he kissed them lightly. "In time, she will see that your serious, and come around."

Asuka turned this over in her mind while enjoying the sensations he was creating on her hands.

"I'll have a chat with her, if you want. I thought I had settled this earlier."

"No." She sighed. "I can fight my own battles. Don't worry about it, it's my problem."

Drawing her into an embrace, he whispered, "Actually, since your both very special to me, it's my problem too. I don't want the two people I'm closest to, fighting. There's enough pain in this world to go around, why add to it?"

"I'll see what I can do." She gave him an extra squeeze. "No promises."

**Later, in the bedroom.**

"Comfortable?"

"Very!"

"Good. So am I." Asuka whispered in a silky voice. Lying on her side next to him, under the sheets, she gave one last glance to the third occupant of the room, before settling her head on Shinji's shoulder.

Shinji brushed his fingers through her hair lightly, listening to her purr as he did this. As he drifted off to sleep, she put one last question to him.

"Shinji? Not that I mind, but what's the real reason you wanted me next to you tonight?"

"Apart from the obvious?"

"Yeah."

"Well . . . No nightmares."

"Huh?"

"The last two nights you've been with me, I've had a good night's sleep. No nightmares."

"Oh! Okay."

A few minutes pass.

"Shinji?"

"Yeah?"

"Me too."

"Really?"

"Really. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

**Sometime during the night.**

"Huh? Wha-? Shinji? What's wrong, baby?"

"Ungh! Nooo . . ."

"Shhh. Sweetie, what's wrong with you?"

The young Ikari was moaning and thrashing, feebly.

"Ahhhh! I'm sorry! I didn't know . . ."

"What are you talking about?" Asuka said quietly, trying not to wake Rei.

"I just wanted us to be safe when we came back. I didn't mean to . . ."

Another shuddering moan escaped him.

'A nightmare. He must have jinxed it by mentioning it.' She thought grimly as she tried to soothe him.

"Shhh. It's okay, baby."

"I don't deserve to be here. I'm bad."

"Don't say that, sweetie. You're the kindest person I know." Reaching over, she drew him onto her chest and into her arms, giving comfort as best she could. "Don't ever say that. It's not true."

Stroking his head and _coo_ing to him softly, his body slowly drained of tension. Presently, his breathing slowed down and he fell back into a deep, restful sleep. Asuka stayed awake a while longer to make sure his bad dream was over.

"I won't leave you, Shinji. As long as I'm able, I won't leave you. I promise."

Placing a kiss on his forhead to seal her word to him, she finally drifted off herself.

Unbeknownst to Asuka, this scene had a silent witness.

'Perhaps the Second Child is not being diss-honest about her feelings for Shinji, after all.'

With that thought, Rei rolled over and went back to sleep.

**A little bit earlier, around dusk. **

A woman sits at a table, surrounded by maps and weapons. A great weight seems to be making itself at home on her shoulders. She sighs deeply, then picks up a phone and begins talking.

"Major Katsuragi, reporting in, at the pre-arranged time."

" . . . . . . . . . .!"

"Oh, hi, Hyuga!"

" . . . . . . . . . . ?"

Well, we can confirm that all three Pilots are on the surface and have, in fact, met."

" . . . . . . . . . .?"

"One of our patrols took into custody three looters, this afternoon. One of them mentioned seeing a red-haired girl running away from them in the company of a dark-haired boy. Yesterday."

" . . . . . . . . . .?"

"_I was getting to that_! They also said that another of their gang was knocked out by a dark-haired girl of similar age, as he tried to beat some information out of Shinji. Today. A few hours ago."

" . . . . . . . . . .!"

"Yeah, that was my reaction, too!"

" . . . . . . . . . .?"

"Of course I'm protective of them! Their my kids!"

" . . . . . . . . . . ?"

"What! Of course the looters are still alive."

" . . . . . . . . . .?"

"Oh, just a little bit of friendly persuasion."

" . . . . . . . . . .!"

"NO, I DID NOT! God, you bridge bunnies are perverted."

" . . . . . . . . . .?"

"It's funny how talkative a man can be if you tie him to a chair and put a gun to his crotch."

" . . . . . . . . . .!"

"_Of course _I'm being hard-core! Those fuckers are out there, hunting my kids! I'll see them all dead, before I let anything happen to those three!"

" . . . . . . . . . ."

"I AM CALM! I'm just frustrated that we haven't found them, yet."

" . . . . . . . . . ."

"I know it's a big city! Still, they seem to be taking care of themselves, so far."

" . . . . . . . . . ."

"And, if Rei is with them, they have to know that we are back, too. So hopefully, they'll try to make their own way back to the GeoFront."

" . . . . . . . . . ."

"Yeah, that's what I'm counting on, as well."

" . . . . . . . . . .?"

"Well, now that we have a general area to focus on, I'm going to split the search teams up even further and saturate that end of town. With luck, we'll bump into them."

" . . . . . . . . . .?"

"Shoot to kill, of course. I'm not taking any chances with those thieving bastards."

" . . . . . . . . . .!"

Yeah, yeah. Tell it to someone who will give a shit! And that ends my official report. How's it goin' in the real world?"

" . . . . . . . . . ."

"That doesn't surprise me. Zero contact from the kill squad they sent in, and we're still functioning. Of course they are going to be tiptoeing around us! Plus, we can and are going out and picking up all the hardware they left behind."

" . . . . . . . . . ."

"That's a bit bloody risky! If they find out we don't have them before we're ready, they might grow a pair and come back after us to finish the job."

" . . . . . . . . . ."

"Well, I just hope he knows what he's doing."

" . . . . . . . . . ."

"Yeah, see you soon. I hope! Signing off."

" . . . . . . . . . ."

Misato turned hung up the satellite phone and got up to stretch. Sighing, she set out to do one last check of the perimiter, before turning in for the night.

"I could really use a drink!"

END OF DAY THREE

* * *

Notes: Kind of a big chapter, this time. Normally, I would split something this size into two but . . . It flowed so well and I couldn't find a decent place to take a knife to! So, enjoy this super-size chapter. Consider it a gift from me for taking so long posting these things. See ya! 


	9. Chapter 9

N.G.E.: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

By: Tezza1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: GAINAX and Anno have the copyright for Evangelion. I don't. _Sob!_ It's just not fair. _Waaah! _(Author falls to the floor and begins to drum his heels while throwing a major tanty.)

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Notes: Hot Damn! 70+ reviews! Woo-Hoo!

* * *

DAY FOUR Part one

**The looters base of operations. Dawn.**

"Hey!"

"What's up?"

"Nothin'. Just taking a leak. You?"

"Just waiting until we can get out of this shithole of a city."

"I hear you, man. How's your head?"

"Hurts like a son of a bitch!"

The first man grunts in sympathy, then falls silent. The second man rubs the side of his head gently, checking that the bandages are still in place. "Did anyone find out what happened to the three guys who went missing, yesterday?"

"Yeah. Turns out the government agency that runs this city picked 'em up."

"No shit! What for?"

"You mean, aside from catching them red handed, coming out of a department store with armfuls of stolen goods?" The first man retorted, wryly.

"Smart-ass!"

"Well, it turns out that these government spooks were looking for something, too." The first man watched his companion's reaction to his next words. "Or rather, someone."

"Motherfucker!" The other man's eyes went wide. "You mean-"

"Yup! It seems that they are tearing this city apart looking for three kids."

The other man turned this over in his mind. "What for?"

"Dunno. But if the way those spooks are acting is any indication, they want 'em pretty bad."

Both men fell silent as they worked the angles.

"Y'know . . ." The first man said in a thoughtful tone. "If we got to 'em first, they could come in handy."

"For ransom or just our ticket out of here?"

The first man grinned. "Why not both?"

The second man chuckled. "Hey, I like your style."

"The way those spooks are spreading through the city, we're gonna need a ticket out of here, soon enough. Why not see if we can pick up a bonus while we're at it. Just remember one thing."

"What?"

"No trying to get revenge for _that_!" He said firmly, pointing at the other man's bandaged head. He started grumbling and sulking. Taking pity on his friend, he amended his statement. "At least, not until we have gotten away."

----------

**Morning. Inside the unit.**

Asuka slowly made the transition from asleep to awake. Smiling as she realised she was curled up beside Shinji, a brief flash of confusion surfaced, before she remembered that she had been _invited_ this time. Once again, she had latched on to Shinji in a possessive manner during the night, and was enjoying the sensation of being next to him. Deciding that Rei might not approve of the position that she and her 'brother' are in and not feeling confident enough in their new relationship to try and force Shinji to choose between them just yet, Asuka sighed and opened her eyes.

To find Rei's face about two inches from her own, wearing a curious expression.

Swallowing a squeal, Asuka quietly demanded to know what the hell she was doing.

"You were moaning in your sleep, Asuka. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Rei." She said weakly.

"Are you sure?"

"I said 'yes', didn't I, Wondergirl!"

Not quite convinced, Rei leant back. "Was it a bad dream?"

Asuka shrugged vaguely. "Something like that."

"Very well." Rei sat on the bed gently, so as not to wake Shinji.

Though annoyed at Rei for interrupting her plans for the morning, Asuka became curious as the other girl seemed to be struggling to articulate something. Knowing that Rei had never been reluctant to speak her mind about anything she has deemed important enough in the past, Asuka waited patiently, observing this out of character behaviour. Finally, Rei faced Asuka and opened her mouth.

"I heard you speak, last night."

Which was the last thing Asuka was expecting to come out of Rei's mouth.

"When?" Asuka paled. A lot had been said the night before. Not all of it was for Rei's ears.

"After my brother started talking in his sleep."

"Oh!" They both lapsed into silence.

"Did you mean what you told him?" She asked with a hint of curiosity.

Asuka held back a nasty reply about eavesdropping and the sorts of people who indulge in it, and instead decided to give her the truth. "Every word!"

Rei nodded. "Good." Standing slowly, she began to leave the room. "I am going to have a wash before breakfast. Try not to have another 'bad dream', while I am gone." Her eyes twinkled with some slight amusement. "But if you do, wake Shinji. I am sure he would be quite willing to . . . comfort you."

Allowing herself a small smile at Asuka's stunned expression, Rei left the room and shut the door.

"Great! Now Wondergirl is turning into a pervert. Must have happened when she became Shinji's twin." Asuka grumbled as she recovered. Deciding to get up before she gave in to the temptation the other girl had lain before her, Asuka gathered some clothes and gave the sleeping boy a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.

Entering the kitchen, she noticed that Rei had, indeed, gone into the bathroom. Shivering at the thought of washing in cold water, Asuka began to slap together a basic breakfast of cereal and UHT milk. She wasn't in the mood to go to the effort Shinji does when he prepares a meal. Sitting at the table, she began eating and waiting for Rei to emerge.

Shortly, the sound of splashing ceased and Rei walked out to prepare her own meal. Seating herself at the table opposite Asuka, she began to eat without a sound. Asuka, once she had finished her own cereal, began to stare at Rei intently. Rei noticed this but said nothing. From experience, she knew that the Second Child was not one to keep quiet for long if she had something on her mind. Sure enough, Asuka soon opened her mouth.

"Why did you come back looking like a female Shinji? I'm guessing that you could have returned with any appearance you wanted. Why did you return looking like that? What was wrong with the way you were?"

Rei stayed silent for a moment, deciding how much information to tell her, if any. Remembering that the best defence is a good offence, she answered with a question of her own.

"Possibly for the same reasons you did. Why did _you_ return, looking like that?" Her eyes flicked to Asuka's scars briefly.

"What! I . . . Well . . . That's private!" Asuka sputtered.

"Exactly." Rei returned to her breakfast.

Across the table, Asuka fumed silently. '_Damnit!_' Picking up her bowl, she took it to the sink and washed it. As she did so, she thought furiously over everything Shinji had told her about the First Child's past, the other day. Something occurred to her.

"Is it because you didn't want any reminders that you're a clone?"

Rei froze. She had forgotten that not only was the Second Child fiercely intelligent, she could also be disturbingly tenacious and insightful.

Realising she was on to something, Asuka kept talking. "That's it, isn't it? The ice blue hair. The red eyes. They were all reminders that you weren't totally human. That you were a mixed-up copy of an Angel and Shinji's mother. Created for only one purpose. To bring about the end of humanity." Asuka felt pleased with herself for making that deduction. The sensation lasted until Rei spoke again.

"That is . . . part of the reason." Her voice hitched slightly. "How did you-"

Asuka turned and saw that Rei was on the verge of tears. Moving around the table towards her, she stopped when Rei actually flinched as she came closer. _'Good one, Sohryu, you just cut her to the bone! Maybe you should twist the knife a little more and say something about how the Commander chose her over his own son!_'

"Rei, I'm . . . sorry. Shinji mentioned it yesterday while he was explaining Third Impact to me and-" She stopped and hugged herself. Putting her chin on her chest, she spoke again in a quieter voice. "I didn't think. You come back looking like him and connecting with him in ways I'm still learning to and it scares me." Taking a deep breath, Asuka raised her head to look at Rei. "He's so comfortable in your presence. And he's still a little afraid of me, deep down. It hurts, to see that I have that effect on him. So I lash out, without thinking. At what ever target is closest." Stretching her right arm out, Asuka turns her hand around in front of Rei, showing her the scar line. "I think that may be part of why I came back with these." She brings her hand up and runs it over the scars across her left eye. "To remind myself that losing control and lashing out has consequences. To think before acting." She sighs. "Actually, I don't know why I returned with them. At least, not consciously. But, some part of me wanted them. So I'm stuck with them." She finishes with a shrug.

Rei ponders this surprisingly frank confession from the Second Child. "What does my brother think of them?"

Asuka smiled. "He thinks that I'm beautiful no matter what. And, I actually believe him." She finished, sounding surprised that someone she had never treated particularly well could actually feel that way about her.

Rei looked thoughtfully at Asuka. "He was right about you. You have changed. Possibly the most of all, out of we three pilots."

"I doubt it. I'm still a bitch." She said with a trace of regret.

"True. But you do not revel in it like you used to."

"_Hey_!" Asuka tried to figure out how much she had just been insulted.

"Alright, enough of this 'baring our souls to each other' crap!" Asuka continued, after a moment. "Let's just say that we both have our own reasons and leave it at that. Agreed?"

Nodding in agreement at each other, they both cast about for another topic to move on to. In all honesty, there was only one subject they could both think of.

"Do you think Shinji's injurys are serious?" Asuka asked, diffidently.

"I do not know. He can be very adept at hiding information about himself, when he chooses to be."

Asuka snorted. "Got that right! It's like getting blood from a stone, sometimes."

Rei agreed with her. "So we should get him to medical attention, as soon as possible."

"Which means NERV." Asuka wasn't very enthusiastic about the idea.

"Yes. Why are you reluctant to go back there?"

Asuka hesitated before answering. "Because that place has been the cause of a great deal of pain. For _all_ of us." She stressed that word to show that she meant Rei, too.

"But," She continued. "It's safer for us than anywhere else. And if Misato _is_ back, like you say, then she won't let anything bad happen to him. She may be a bossy, messy, teasing drunk, but she is also fiercly protective of Shinji."

"I defer to your greater knowledge of the Major. However, our most pressing problem will be to get Shinji there. The journey is not small. And with his reduced fitness, the going will be slow."

"And let's not forget that roving band of looters." Asuka put in.

Rei got up and went to the backpack she had showed up with, the night before. "They may not be as great a problem for us as you think, Asuka." She rummaged about inside the pack, searching for something. "In my travels yesterday, I aquired some tools that may assist us in getting to the GeoFront safely."

"Like what?" Asuka was curious now. Rei was sounding almost smug.

"These." Rei stood up and walked back to the table, her hands full of-

"_Guns_!" Asuka was shocked. "Where the hell did you get _those_ from?"

"This one-" She placed the one in her left hand on the table. "I removed from the guard I knocked out, that was guarding my cell. This one-" She put the one in her right hand next to the other gun. "I took off the . . . person that assaulted Shinji." She went back to the pack and returned with extra clips for both guns. "If we should happen to run into them, later today, these should even out our chances against them."

"I'm very impressed, Wondergirl." Asuka picked up one and started giving it a once over. "Can I assume you've had basic weapons training? Both Misato and Kaji made sure I was trained in how to handle firearms when I was stationed in Germany."

"That is correct. The Commander was very thorough in making sure that I could defend myself, if need be."

Asuka nodded. "So my next question is, are you capable of taking a human life, if need be?"

Rei hesitated. "It would depend on the circumstances." She answered, uncertain.

Asuka looked as if she had expected that. "What say if Shinji's life was in danger?"

There was no hesitation, this time. "If anyone attempts to hurt my brother, they die!"

Asuka looked as if she had expected that answer, also. "Good. I feel the same way. I've just started finding out what I have been missing with that boy all this time. I'll be damned if I will let anyone take that away from me."

Pleased at finally finding something they both agree on, the girls lapsed into a comfortable silence as they began stripping and cleaning the weapons they now had in their possession.

Back in the bedroom, Shinji woke up feeling rested but still sore. Noting that he was alone in the room, he wondered if the girls were getting along today, or whether he would have to try and separate them. Again. Sitting up, he was grateful that only a slight wave of nausea washed over him. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he glanced around the room, looking for the bottle of painkillers he was sure he had brought in with him, last night. Spotting it across the room, he winced and groaned as he stood up and stumbled over to them. Deciding not to try and dry-swallow a couple, he shambled out the door and headed towards the bathroom, unnoticed by Rei and Asuka.

Reaching his destination finally, he closed the door behind him and went over to the sink. Throwing some water over his face to make himself a little less asleep, he then cupped his hands and swallowed the pills. Getting a good look at himself in the mirror for the first time since yesterday, he agreed with himself that he did, indeed, look like a rainbow of bruised shit, and that getting stomped into the pavement by a large bastard was not to be recommended to anyone. Except possibly his father.

Not hearing anything like an argument coming from the kitchen, Shinji decided they were getting along without him well enough for him to have a wash while he was in the bathroom. Unable to work up the energy to go out and heat some water, he partly filled the bathtub and began to get undressed. '_Yes, it's cold water. But it will clear some of the cobwebs out of my head._' He reasoned as he started lathering up.

Asuka finished putting her gun back together in record time, (i.e.: faster than Rei) and looked about for something else to do. Deciding that the third person in the apartment had slept long enough, she moved towards the bedroom, telling Rei of her intentions over her shoulder. Looking into the room, she saw that the bed was empty. _'Must be feeling better today, if he's up and about on his own. So, where would he-? Aha! Bathroom.' _Going to that door, she knocked before entering. Just to be on the safe side.

"Who is it?" Came a quick challenge.

"Dr. Sohryu! It's time for your physical!" Asuka replied jokingly, rattling the locked door for effect.

"ACK! Don't you dare come in! I'm not dressed." Shinji squealed, trying to dry himself in two seconds flat.

Asuka giggled as she listened to him scurry about getting dressed on the other side of the door. "Oh, don't worry, ya big baby. I'm not coming in. I just want to check how you are feeling."

Slowing down at her reply, he caught the faint undercurrent of worry in her words. "Be out in a minute." Making sure he was dressed, he opened the door and smiled at her. Leaning in, he gave her a slow kiss.

"Mmmmmm. Good morning, Asuka. In answer to your question: I am feeling better than I was yesterday. And definitely better than I was five minutes ago." Asuka's response to this was to put her arms around his neck and draw him into a deeper kiss. Putting his own arms around her waist, Shinji settled in to her embrace.

Drawing back after a while, Asuka licked her lips. "You taste like toothpaste." She smiled.

Shinji smiled back. "And you taste sweet. Did you drown your cereal in sugar again?" He teased.

"Are you saying I can't be sweet, all on my own?" She mock-growled.

"Oh dear, a trick question. Can I take the fifth?" As Asuka opened her mouth to retort, he pressed his lips over hers. Her next words became lost in a contented groan.

"Are you two going to act like this all the time?" Came a curious voice from the other end of the hall.

'_I sure hope so!'_ Was Shinji's wistful thought as Asuka broke off the impromptu make-out session to glare at Rei. "Do you mind? This is a private conversation." She said, hoping that Rei would take the hint, and leave them alone.

No such luck.

"For a conversation to occur there has to be talking involved. I can see no evidence of such a thing happening between the two of you now, or for the last few minutes." Rei answered.

As fun as it was to see Asuka turning the colours she was trying to think of a comeback to Rei's statement, Shinji decided to step in before things got out of hand.

"Good morning, Rei. In answer to your question; No. Unfortunately." Smiling at her perplexed expression, he nuzzled Asuka's cheek to get her attention back on him. When she turned her head, he gave her another peck on the lips before asking if she was going to have a wash.

"Yeah. As soon as I boil some water. You two might enjoy washing yourselves in the cold, but a delicate flower like myself needs something more." She declared as they walked into the kitchen, holding hands.

Shinji's eyes grew wide as he saw what was on the kitchen table. "Um, how long have we had an arsenal?"

"Oh yeah, you haven't seen them yet. Wondergirl picked up some new toys on her travels, yesterday."

"O-Kay." He mumbled with amazement as Rei related her tale of acquisition again.

"When did you go back for the second gun?" He asked, picking one up to test its weight.

"You were unconscious for a short time yesterday. As you slept, I went back and searched his body for anything of use. I found that, and decided it would become useful, in time. Was I mistaken?"

Putting it down, he scowled. "No, your right. We may well need some way to defend ourselves before the day is out." Sighing at the thought of more conflict, he looked to the girls. "Can I assume that you both know how to use them?" They both said yes. "Good! 'Cause I suck at shooting." Seeing their confused expressions, he explained. "Misato tried to teach me once, soon after I first arrived here. The idea was to get me used to having a weapon in my hand." He slowly turned red at the memory of that particular afternoon. In her frustration at his inability to master even the basics, the only thing Misato had managed to teach Shinji were some words he had only ever seen written on the walls of public toilets. "It was a disaster, to say the least."

Asuka nodded. "Let me guess. No confidence?" He gave an embarrassed affirmative. "Figures. Don't you worry, Shinjikins, we big strong girls will take care of you. Won't we, Wondergirl?" She said as she gave Shinji a condescending pat on the head. Softening her teasing with a kiss, she boiled some water and left the room.

After she had gone, Shinji asked Rei a question that he hadn't quite dared to put to Asuka.

"How will you be able to shoot those guns without hurting yourself? They look pretty big."

Rei picked one up and pointed to its features as she explained. "These type of handguns are GLOCK 9mm. Semi-recoilless automatic weapons. They are designed so that as you fire them, the force of the explosion is vented in such a way that it partially cancels out the recoil inherent in any gun discharge. In practical terms, this means that it will not kick back as much as another weapon of similar size and the barrel will not move as far from the intended target. So yes, while it is a 'big gun', Asuka and I will be able to use them without any injury to ourselves, and with increased accuracy. If it comes to that." She concluded.

As Rei talked, Shinji began making his breakfast. "Well, here's hoping it _doesn't_ come to that. Other than helping me out, you got through the city without any trouble, yesterday. If we retrace your steps, we should be fine." Something occurred to him. "I would like to take a detour by the shoreline, though. There's something I saw that I would like to pick up on the way."

"Shinji?"

He turned away from his preparations. "Yes?"

"Was it . . . pleasant? What you and Asuka were doing, before." Rei asked in a hesitant voice, not sure if she was being intrusive but desiring an answer nonetheless.

Shinji tried to stall for time as he thought frantically. "Why do you ask, Rei?"

Rei once again had difficulty putting her own thoughts into words. "You both looked to be enjoying pressing your lips against each other. As I watched you, I found myself wondering what it would be like to be that intimate with someone. Would I enjoy it as much as you seem to? Will I find someone I could trust that much to do that with them? These feelings running through me, they scare me and confuse me. I have never felt such strong emotions before. I am not used to them and I do not know how to deal with them." She looked to Shinji, desperate for any answer he could give her.

While not really comfortable with discussing that aspect of his and Asuka's relationship, Shinji could not refuse the honest plea he saw in Rei's eyes. "Yes, it was pleasant. For me, kissing is a physical expression of my affection for Asuka. We do it to show that we like each other very much and that we are willing to let each other inside the barriers we've built around ourselves. And yes, it is very enjoyable." He coloured slightly as he spoke, but continued. "As to whether you will find someone special Rei, I don't know. Anythings possible." He shrugged. "If someone had come up to me a few months ago and told me that Asuka and I would end up together, I would have questioned their sanity. But, here we are." He gave another helpless shrug. "I'm sorry I can't help you very much with how to deal with those emotions. I'm still learning how to do so, myself."

"I see." Her disappointment at his vagueness was clear. "Can I continue to ask for your help about this?"

"Of course you can! I don't know how much help I'll be to you, but I'll do what I can." Shinji returned to eating his breakfast, grateful that she was willing to drop the subject for the moment. He was having a hard enough time keeping up with the changes within himself _and_ Asuka, without having to try and document it all for Rei.

"Thank you." While unhappy at Shinji's lack of knowledge, Rei was pleased that he was willing to continue talking to her openly about the subject.

Presently, Asuka returned. Dressed in hiking boots, jeans, a tee shirt and a denim jacket, she looked ready to handle anything the day could throw at her.

"Come on you two slackers. We should have been on our way, ages ago! Get changed. Pronto! You can discuss the mysteries of the universe when we're back at NERV." She grabbed Shinji's shoulders and shoved him towards his room for effect. "Hurry up, or I'll dress you myself!"

Noticing the anticipatory gleam in her eye, Shinji decided not to argue.

Just as Rei was about to go into the room they all had shared the night before, Asuka asked if she had grabbed holsters for the guns, yesterday.

"Yes. They are in my backpack." She replied before she shut the door.

'_Wunderbar! That will make things easier._' Asuka went over and began rummaging through the pack.

As the other two emerged, Asuka was pleased to note that they had taken a cue from her and dressed in clothes that could handle a bit of rough and tumble, if required. Handing Rei the other holster, they clipped them onto their belts. Giving their guns one last safety check, they holstered them and turned to Shinji.

"Do you think we should lock this place up?" Shinji asked Asuka.

She thought for a moment. "Nah. I doubt we'll come back here."

He nodded. "So, who's carrying what?"

"Rei and I will put the heavy stuff in our packs. Food, water, ammo, spare clothes and such. You get to carry the first-aid kit. In your condition, the lighter the load you carry, the better. It's gonna be a long day so, no exerting yourself just to prove that you're the man. Got it!"

"But-"

"No 'buts'! You got worked over pretty bad, yesterday. No trying to be the Invincible Shinji Ikari until we get you to a doctor." Asuka let the worry she was feeling for him show for a moment.

Rei agreed. "Asuka is correct. You should not exert yourself. We are capable of carrying what is needed for our journey. You only need to focus on conserving your strength."

Looking from one to the other, Shinji saw that he wasn't going to win this argument. "Okay. Your right."

Quickly stowing the items they were taking, the girls helped Shinji put his pack on. Checking that their own individual loads were balanced correctly, they made their way out of the unit for the last time. As Rei waited outside, Asuka and Shinji had one last look around the place that had been the venue for so many of the changes they had gone through the past few days.

Seeing the wistful expression on Shinji's face, Asuka took his hand and whispered in his ear. "Come on, Shinji. Let's get back to Misato and get busy making some new memories at her place. What do you say?" She invited softly.

Shinji turned to her, smiling. "I'd like that. A lot."

* * *

Notes: Bloody hell, that was a bastard to write! Three times I had to redo this chapter, just to get them out of effing bed and through the front door. _Oy vey_! Thanks for hanging in there, peoples. It's much appreciated. Oh, and while I'm pretty sure a type of guncalled Glock exists (Another thing I don't own.), I made up the semi-recoiless stuff. Thanx.

Stay tuned, you lovely, loyal readers.

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	10. Chapter 10

N.G.E.: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

By: Tezza1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: Despite convincing rumours to the contrary, I don't own any part of Evangelion. Honestly! GAINAX and Anno have that distinction.

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DAY FOUR Part Two

Tokyo-3.

A city in ruins.

And within its boundaries, an attempt at ending humanity as we know it occurred.

The city landscape looks like the surface of the moon, only with colour. Craters pockmark it at random intervals around the outskirts. The largest of these was formed by Evangelion Pilot Rei Ayanami self-destructing her EVA, ending the fight against the Sixteenth Angel. It had since filled with water, becoming a new lake. This was where Shinji and Asuka had appeared after Third Impact. At the city's centre, a hole, the size of which is almost too much for a sane mind to comprehend. Daylight shines into places that have not felt the sun's kiss for a long time, if ever.

Looking carefully over the edge of this hole, another city becomes visible below. A secret city. Home to a secret gathering of dedicated people that fought a very public war against a foe whose purpose was as vague as those who sought to defeat them. This group thought they were on the side of angels, fighting other Angels.

Four days ago, that war ended. Almost immediately, another war began. A war of possession.

It was a short war, lasting about half a day. It ended when humanity was drawn into one consciousness, in preparation for a next evolutionary step. Unfortunately for those who had guided circumstances to this point, too many plans about how this event was to happen were in play at the one time. It became ugly.

And the fate of humanity finally rested on the shoulders of a boy who would have much rather have been left alone in his room, listening to his S-DAT.

But, all was not lost. This unlikely saviour had made some strong emotional connections to those around him, despite his best efforts to remain alone. Those connections allowed him to rise to the occasion and bring humanity back.

Currently, this saviour of humanity was busy trying his best to explain to his girlfriend why they were taking a long detour away from NERV and safety. And failing. Miserably.

"Asuka, I know it's out of our way, but-"

"'But' nothing, Shinji. It was you that convinced me that it was a good idea to go back. Remember?" She waited until he nodded. "So, the quicker we get there, the better."

""I know that! It's just . . . When we returned; I saw something and left it behind. And now I need to go back and get it, before someone else does."

"Why? What is it?"

Shinji hesitated. "You'll see when we get there."

Asuka started to growl at his evasiveness. "Damnit, Shinji! We don't have time for one of your flights of whimsy. Leave it and we'll come back and get whatever it was, later. When it's safer." She turned to follow Rei towards NERV. A firm voice stopped both teens in their tracks. "No!"

Turning, they stared at Shinji. "I am going to get it. It is important, both to me _and_ the person who gave it to me." The apologetic tone of his voice was at odds with the steel in his eyes. "I'll meet up with you later." With that, he turned and headed up the shoreline without looking back.

Asuka glanced over at Rei to see if she knew what Shinji was being so stubborn about. The girl shook her head in the negative. She then began to follow Shinji up the beach.

Asuka stood there for a moment, cursing whatever Gods that had decided to screw with her life this time, before catching up with Rei.

"Are you sure you have no idea what this is about, Wondergirl?"

"I am sure." She fell into thought for a moment. "We shall find out shortly. Is it a long walk to where you reappeared?"

"I don't know." Seeing Rei's confusion, Asuka elaborated. "I was pretty out of it. Shinji carried me to the unit in his arms while I slept most of the way. Not too far, I think."

Reis eyes widened at that. "He carried you to the unit? From further away than here?" Asuka nodded. Rei looked at Shinji's back thoughtfully. "You are lucky." She said softly.

"What, to be going out with someone who has issues with self-preservation?" She scoffed.

"No. To have someone in your life who is willing to go to those lengths to ensure your comfort." Now Asuka was confused. "While you are lighter than him, you are also taller. It would not have been easy for him to carry you all this way." Rei continued before Asuka could comment. "So, if he is willing to chance annoying you for whatever this is about, it must be important to him." The red-head pondered the point Rei was making. "It is not too far from the route I took in finding him, yesterday. Unless we hear something to indicate we are discovered, I say we indulge him in this."

"Fine!" Asuka declared, reluctantly. "But it better be good, or I'm gonna kick his ass."

Presently, they reached the ring of Evangelions that SEELE had pitted against NERV and Asuka. Looking around, Shinji spotted the object of his search and walked over. He stopped in front of a wooden cross. Looking over his shoulder, he beckoned the others over. "This is why I needed to come back." He said as they took up position on either side of him. Following his gaze, they saw the silver cross nailed to the wood in front of them. "It's Misato's." He explained before either girl could ask. "She gave it to me just before she put me in the elevator that sent me to my EVA. It was her way of making me promise to come back to her, no matter what." He shed a silent tear at the memory of that moment. "She gave it to me, sealed that promise with a kiss, and that was the last I saw of her." He turned to Rei and smiled weakly. "I was going to leave it here. I didn't want a reminder of how I had failed her." Reaching out, he picked it off the nail and put it in his pocket. "But, you say she is alive again, so I thought I had better return it to her. I don't know how it came to be here like this, though?" Leaving that mystery for a later date, he hung his head. "Sorry about before. But I needed to do this."

Asuka slipped her hand into his, gaining his attention. A sympathetic expression was on her face. "Next time just tell me, baka. Okay?" Reaching up, she brushed away the tear travelling down his cheek. "I'm not always unreasonable, y'know." She said as she drew him into a hug, which he returned gratefully.

Rei stepped away to give them a moment. Looking around, something very large in the middle of the lake gained her undivided attention. She ignored Asuka's next question to Shinji.

"Wait a minute. Misato _kissed_ you!"

Rei stared at herself in horror.

Memories began to flit through her mind. Though mercifully vague, their sheer scope alone was still overwhelming. She couldn't take her eyes off the grotesque spectacle in front of her. Details leapt out at her with perfect clarity. Birds were feeding of the meat exposed by the split halves of her head sliding apart. The water was a deeper shade of red around it than the waves breaking at her feet. The one red eye left above the level of the water stared at her, as if mocking her attempts to distance herself from her past. Worst of all, her avatar was still smiling the same small smile that had brought joy to Shinji on the occasions she had shown it to him.

It was all too much for her to cope with at once.

Shinji was in the middle of frantically explaining to Asuka that he was sure Misato wasn't trying to seriously come on to him by kissing him and that his wonderful girlfriend to whom he was completely devoted to was a much better kisser, anyway, when he felt rather than heard Rei crumble to the ground. Spinning about mid-sentence, he ran to her as fast as he could. Asuka was about to let fly at him when she saw Rei lying on her side, still staring straight ahead. Following her line of sight, she gasped in shock as she recognised the giant face in the lake staring back at them. _'How the fuck did I miss seeing that, the other day?' _She thought as she walked over and positioned herself inbetween Rei and whatever the hell it was in the middle of the lake, blocking her view.

Flinging his pack to the ground, he took Rei's off as well and gathered her into his arms, all the while talking a mile a minute. "I'm sorry Rei I didn't think I forgot it was here it's not you anymore it's just a shell that's all nothing to do with who you are now don't leave us please stay don't go away." Shinji babbled on as he rocked Rei back and forth. She continued to stare unblinkingly ahead.

"Shinji." Asuka tried to get his attention. "Shinji!" Still no luck. **"Shinji!" **She puncuated it with a slap on the head. He looked up blankly. "She's alright. She just freaked out, that's all." Picking up the discarded backpacks, she started walking towards the line of buildings. "Pick her up and follow me. Once we're out of sight of that thing, she should be fine." Shinji complied.

Reaching the building Asuka had picked out, Shinji placed her on the ground inside and stepped back. Asuka took off her pack and got a bottle of water out. Opening it, she splashed some over Rei's face. The girl groaned slightly. "Come on, Wondergirl. Snap out of it! Surely this isn't the weirdest thing you've had to deal with, the life you've had." Getting no response, Asuka decided to go a step further. She slapped her. Rei's eyes flew open at that. "Ow!"

"_Asuka!" _Shinji cried, moving in to restrain her. He stopped when Rei looked at him. "It is okay, my brother." Turning her attention to Asuka, she grimaced slightly. "Thank you. Although you need not be so rough, next time." Rei took a deep breath to try and calm her mind. Willing the panic to fade away from her.

Asuka smiled at that. "What, and pass up an opportunity like that." She allowed some concern to show. "Will you be okay? It can be hard to come face to face with your own past. Believe me, I know."

"I will cope. It was just the shock of seeing that, with the associated memories. I will be fine, eventually."

Asuka nodded. "Good! Can't have the baka here going to pieces all the time." She looked up at Shinji, who was busy trying to look indignant at her suggestion.

"I was just worried, that's all." He said, kneeling down beside Rei.

"Thank you, both of you." Rei tried to get up, but failed. "May we rest here for a few moments? I am still unsteady, it seems." She looked embarrassed at this show of weakness.

Asuka nodded, rummaging through her pack again. Pulling out some orange juice, she handed it over. "Here, drink this. It should help you feel better." Rei nodded and complied.

Shinji assured that Rei would be okay, got up and pulled Asuka after him. Leading her over to a corner, he silenced her questions with a finger to her lips. "I just wanted to appologise, that's all."

"Why?"

"For nearly tackling you when you slapped Rei. I should have known you had a good reason. So, sorry for not trusting you to know what you were doing."

Asuka squirmed under his adoring gaze. "That's alright. I figured she needed a short sharp shock to get her mind off what was in the middle of that lake." She giggled. "Becides, how often am I going to get a legitimate reason to take a poke at her, huh?" She subsided and looked at her boyfriend with a serious expression. "So, I will accept your apology on one condition." She said formally.

"What's that?" Shinji asked, cautiously.

"I need a kiss and a hug. She gave me a fright too, y'know." Shinji laughed and set about fulfilling her conditions with great enthusiasm.

While they had only begun their journey a short while ago, it was by mutual consent that they decided to stop and have a small snack while hidden in the abandoned building. Watching her boyfriend move around, Asuka noticed that Shinji had much greater mobility than yesterday. When she commented aloud on it, he replied that a good night's sleep always made him feel better. She shook her head.

"No. It's something more." Asuka thought about the little things she had noticed during this morning.

"What do you mean?" He asked, curious.

"You were beaten up pretty thoroughly, yesterday. By rights, you should have been unable to move at all for a few days. At the very least, you should still be in agony right now."

Shinji scratched his ear absently. "Well, I did have a couple of painkillers before we left."

"And the bruises on your face are fading too quickly." She continued, ignoring his explanation. "They're still bad, but nowhere near as pronounced as they were, last night." She brushed a hand across his face, tenderly.

Rei, who had been silent during this exchange, joined in at that moment. "Asuka makes an interesting point, Shinji. I too, have been seriously injured in the past, as you both know." They both nodded, Shinji's face clouding with concern at those memories. "The reason my recovery time was always so abbreviated was that the Angelic DNA that was a part of me accelerated the healing process, dramatically."

Shinji did not like what Rei was implying. Did not like it at all. "Are you saying that I am now part Angel, or something? Like you were." He was becoming angry.

Rei ignored his tone. "'Or something', I think. Remember Zereul?"

The abrupt change in the conversations direction threw Shinji. "How could I ever forget the Fourteenth Angel! It nearly killed the both of you!"

"And what happened, as you defeated it?" She continued pressing him, gently.

"I was absorbed by my EVA, of course!" Shinji paused at the memory, and then gasped as he made the connection Rei wanted him to. "Oh. My. God!"

"What?" Asuka asked.

"Exactly." Rei nodded as she saw understanding flood his face.

"_What?" _Asuka was getting annoyed at being ignored.

"Do you think it's possible?" Shinji proceeded to turn the possibility over inside his mind.

"**What!" **Asuka's eyebrow began to twitch.

The other pilots still did not answer her.

Rei continued. "Also remember, it is not known if Third Impact changed you. Or myself, other than the obvious. We were both at the centre of it."

"Last chance, children. What the hell are you both talking about?" Asuka shouted at them both.

"I don't know if you were aware of this, Asuka, but when I returned from my month inside Unit-1, it was not by coming out of the entry plug. I was returned via the S2 organ my EVA had absorbed from the Fourteenth Angel. What Rei is implying is that the process may have . . . altered me somehow. And with the way things went to hell soon after that, it could have easily been missed. Especially if no one knew of any changes to look for." Shinji looked to Rei for confirmation. She nodded.

"This would also explain why I was causing the NERV doctors so much confusion. It may not have been just that I had come back looking like you, Shinji. Because I chose to come back as your twin, whatever changes may have occurred within you would also be present in myself." She frowned. "If my thoughts on this matter are accurate."

Asuka latched on to Shinji in a possessive manner, clearly worried at the implications. "So, you're saying Shinji came back different, or something. That's why he's healing so fast." Rei nodded. "Bullshit! He's still the same Shinji." She argued. "And anyway, what good does this do us? So he heals faster. What's so bad about that?"

Shinji hugged her back. "Asuka, have you ever known something good to come from EVA?"

The pilots fell into a contemplative silence.

Asuka broke it first. Kissing Shinji's cheek, she stood up and walked around in front of the others. "It doesn't matter right now. There is nothing we can do about it on our own. All we can do is get back to NERV and let them sort it out. That's what their paid for. Anyway, even if you two did come back changed in some way, it doesn't matter to me. Your still Shinji and Rei Ikari. You're still the same people I've lived with and fought beside these past months. You're still the two people I care about the most in the world." She stopped, surprised and embarrassed that she had just blurted that out to the others. Turning pink at the way they were both looking at her, Asuka demanded, "What! It's the truth!"

Shinji got up and pulled her into an embrace. "Thank you, Asuka. It means a lot that you feel that way, to both of us."

Enjoying the warm feeling that flowed through her at his words, she looked over his shoulder to Rei. The other girl gave Asuka a broad smile of affirmation.

'_So this is what it's like to be accepted just for being me, huh? I could get used to it.' _Asuka thought, wrapping herself around Shinji. She would have been surprised to know that Rei was having the exact same thought towards her.

Later, when Rei found that she could walk once again, they started to get ready to leave. As they were putting on the packs, Asuka froze. Shinji was about to ask what was wrong when Rei did the same thing. Turning their heads this way and that and a look of great consentration on both their faces, they both turned towards the shoreline at the same time.

"What?" He asked.

"Shh!" Asuka waved her hand at him.

"Can you not hear it?" Rei spoke in a hushed tone.

"Um-" He started to reply when he finally heard it, too.

The sound of a large car, driving up the beach.

They all looked at each other, and then moved to a window that faced in that direction. A small dot could be seen in the distance. As they watched, it got larger.

Shinji spoke first. "What do you think, friend or foe?"

Asuka squinted, trying to get a better look. "It's too far away to tell, yet."

"We should be ready, just in case." Rei cautioned.

"Your right." Asuka and Rei drew their sidearms. "What do you think, Wondergirl?"

Rei thought for a moment. "Our tracks leading from the beach will be visible. If we stay hidden, they may walk past us, thinking we have gone deeper into the ruins of the city."

Asuka nodded. "Right. We should also find some higher ground. Gives us a greater advantage, tactically." She explained, seeing Shinji's confused look.

"Okay." Trusting the others greater training in this area, he began to look for a way up to the next level of the building. Finding a staricase that seemed solid, he waved them over and led them up.

As the car drew closer, the girls took up position at opposite ends of the floor, putting their packs in front of them as a shield and making sure that they were not visible from outside. Shinji stayed still in the centre with the first-aid kit, ready to go to the aid of either one if things got nasty.

The car came close enough for them to see that it was a SUV of a type that Section-2 commonly uses. It was driving slowly. Eventually, it came to where the pilots had been standing, not long ago. Stopping, a man got out cautiously to investigate the tracks in the sand. They observed him place his feet next to random prints before turning back to the vehicle and talking to the other occupant.

"Well?" Shinji whispered.

"Dunno. They look like Section-2. Or, could be they nicked the car from them and are out for a nice drive by the seaside. Let's wait and see what they do next." Asuka whispered back.

Shinji looked over at Rei. "I agree with Asuka. It could be a trap."

Outside, the second occupant, which was a woman, exited the car and began walking towards the buildings, closely followed by the man. Stopping a short distance from the base, the woman cupped her hands around her mouth and began to shout.

"REI AYANAMI! SHINJI IKARI! ASUKA LANGLEY SOHRYU! If you are nearby, please listen to what I have to say. My name is Mina Kusimoto. My partner here is Goto Watashi. We are both agents with Section-2. We have been looking for you. Our job is to return you to NERV as soon as possible. We are under the command of Major Misato Katsuragi. If you are here, please come with us. I am sure you know by now that a band of looters are in the city. We have reports that you have run into them at least twice in the last few days." Pausing, she listened for any clue that the three pilots were nearby. "Please, if you are here, come out and tell us. The Major has not had a drink for three days and she is taking it out on us. I beg you, let us take you back so she will calm down and leave us alone!" She stopped again. Turning to her partner, she shrugged.

Inside, the pilots were having a quick conference.

"What do you think?" Asuka asked.

Shinji mused. "Well, it sounds like they work for Misato. The bit about her not drinking for three days sounds a bit farfetched, though. "

Rei interrupted. "Does it sound like her enough to justify exposing ourselves?"

"Only one way to find out. Cover me." With that Shinji stood up and headed for the stairs.

"What do you think you are doing?" Asuka whispered urgently.

He stopped and faced her. "Look, we need to know if they are on the level. And we have already established that I'm useless with a gun, so . . . "He shrugged. "It's decoy time."

Asuka grabbed him as he passed by her. Dragging him down, she planted an urgent kiss on him.

"Stay low, use what cover is available, and make _damn_ sure you come back to me in one piece. _Got it_!" She said fiercly. Shinji grinned at her.

"I have two guardian angels in my corner, looking out for me. I think I will be safe enough."

"Damn straight!" She kissed him again before taking up her position at the window once more.

Making his way downstairs, Shinji felt his confidence start to ebb. _'I must be mad to even think of doing this.' _He shivered. Exiting the building, he saw that the two Agents were starting to head back to their SUV. Hiding himself behind a collapsed wall underneath where Rei was positioned, he called out. "Hey!"

They spun around, going for their weapons. Looking about, they spotted a hand waving from behind a wall. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"Put the guns away, first. Please." Shinji replied.

Goto looked at Mina, confused. She grinned in response. "Only one person would be that polite in a situation like this." She holstered her gun and motioned for Goto to do the same. "Would I be addressing Shinji Ikari, Third Child and Pilot of Evangelion Unit-1?"

Shinji poked his head out, surprised. "Yes." He said, uncertainly.

The Agents both let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the Gods! Are you alone? Where are the other pilots? Are they nearby?" Goto asked.

"Yes, they are."

"Well, where are they? We can't hang around here all day." He sounded stressed and not in the mood for children's games.

Shinji held up a hand. "Not yet. I need more proof that you are who you say you are. Sorry."

"Damnit, we don't have the time for this!" Goto started forward.

"I wouldn't come any closer, if I were you." Shinji warned.

"And why not?" Mina asked, puzzled. Shinji was not acting like the boy they had on file.

"Because Asuka and Rei are both nearby. And if they see you try to touch me before I tell them its okay to come out, they will shoot you both dead." He sounded appologetic.

That brought them up short. "What?"

"You heard me." He said softly.

The Agents looked around, trying to spot the other pilots. "You're kidding. Right?"

"No." His voice was firm. "As you said, we have run into those bastards already. So we're a bit more cautious, now." Feeling confident that they wouldn't try anything now that they had been warned, Shinji stepped out fully into view, allowing the Agents to get their first good look at him.

Mina spoke first. "What happened to your face?"

Shinji reached up and touched his bruised eye. "Oh, this? A gift from one of those looters you're so worried about. I have plenty more over the rest of my body, too."

"Bastards!" This from Goto. "Do you need medical attention?"

"Probably." He shrugged.

"Come with us and get that seen to." Mina asked, her consern evident.

Shinji shook his head. "Not yet. You still haven't proved you are who you say you are."

The two Agents went into a conference.

"So, what do we do, Mina?"

"Well, he definitely needs to see a doctor."

"True, but we can't just grab him. I don't think he's lying about the other pilots being nearby. He's too cocky for it to be a bluff." Goto gave a quick glance over to the Third Child. He waved back cheerfully.

"Yeah, I get that feeling, too. Damnit!" She blew a frustrated breath out through clenched lips. "They trained those kids _too_ well. And their paranoid as hell, to boot."

"And if we go back and say we ran into them but couldn't convince them to come back with us, the Major's going to tear us a new one." He shivered at the thought.

"Yup! She'll kick our asses six ways from . . ." Mina stopped talking as an idea hit her. Slapping her forehead, she started calling herself every rude name she could think of.

Goto let her go on for about a minute before interrupting. "Not that I mind you talking dirty in front of me, but is there a reason for it?"

Mina looked at him. "We are the biggest idiots, you know. We need to gain the pilots confidence, right?" He nodded. "We also need to prove that we are who we say we are?" Another nod. "Well, who do you think they would trust that we also know?" She waited for him to think it through.

"Of course!" He slapped his own forehead. "Your right. We are the biggest idiots."

Mina turned back to Shinji. "Pilot Ikari, I am going to go back to our SUV to get the proof you need. I'll be back in a moment." He nodded in agreement.

She ran down to the beach and returned quickly.

"This is a walkie-talkie, Pilot Ikari. There is someone who wants very much to talk to you on the other end." She walked forward five paces, put it on the ground and stepped back. They both then retreated.

Shinji walked out cautiously and picked it up. "How do I use it?"

"Press the button on the side and hold it to talk. Release it to listen."

He pressed the button. "Hello?"

"SHINJI! Oh my God, it's really you! How are you? Are you safe? What about Asuka and Rei? Are they alright?" The questions poured forth in an excited torrent. Shinji's eyes went wide.

"MISATO!" He cried. "We're fine. We're all fine. Are you okay? I was so relieved when Rei said that you were alive. Where are you?"

"At the base camp. We've been looking for you for a couple of days, now." Sniffling could be heard. "Shinji, listen to me: You can trust Agents Kusimoto and Watashi. Get the girls. Go with them. They will bring you back here to me. Okay?"

"Okay, Misato." Shinji was a bit teary eyed himself, by now. "It's so good to hear your voice again."

"Back at you, kiddo!"

"Can you hang on the line? I'm sure the others would want to say hello, too."

"_No problemo_!" She answered cheerfully.

Shinji faced the Agents. "Could you stay here while I go and get Rei and Asuka?" He asked as they approached.

"Sure! Take your time."

Shinji put the walkie-talkie down and sped back inside the building.

Goto reached down and picked it up. "Damn, you're good." He said to his partner.

"You know it!" She laughed. He keyed it and began to make a report to Misato.

Racing up the stairs, Shinji burst into the room. "It's okay! They're on the level!"

Asuka tackled him. "Damnit, baka, I almost went grey when you walked over to them." She tried to sound cross, but couldn't keep it up. She settled for whacking the back of his head, then pulling him into a tight hug. Rei stayed in position on the other side of the room.

"Are you sure? Could they have tricked you?" She asked, never taking her eyes off the Agents.

"No, I'm convinced they're on the level." He replied, gasping as Asuka began to crush his already tender ribs. "Ow! Asuka. Enough."

"Sorry." She loosened her grip, but didn't let go. "So, how did they convince you?"

"They didn't. Misato did." He grinned at her expression.

"Huh? You're kidding."

"You saw me talking on the walkie-talkie?" They both nodded. "Well, Misato was on the other end. She says it's fine, we can trust them." He was almost bouncing at the prospect of seeing Misato again.

Asuka and Rei looked at each other, deciding.

"Very well." Rei picked up her pack and headed for the stairs. Asuka let Shinji go and did the same. Neither one had holstered their weapons yet. Just in case.

Shinji picked up his own pack and joined them.

Outside, Goto and Mina were taking turns reporting their position and other details to the Major. Hearing footsteps, they turned to the building to see the three pilots walking towards them. They were somewhat disconcerted to see that Rei and Asuka were indeed armed, and that they hadn't put them away yet.

The two female pilots stopped a short distance away while Shinji kept coming. He put his hand out for the walkie-talkie, giving them an apologetic look. "They don't trust you." He said simply.

Mina nodded, handing it over. He walked over to Asuka and gave it to her. She put it to her ear and began speaking rapid German into it.

"Damnit, Asuka! Slow down. You know my German is rusty." Misato demanded. "And I caught that bit about how much I drink! Give it a rest, okay? I haven't had one since before Third Impact! And what was that about me and Shinji? I didn't quite catch it."

"Nothing! Just making sure it's really you, that's all. How ya been?" She smiled and put her gun away.

"Worried sick about you kids, thank you very much! I hope you haven't been giving Shinji a hard time?"

Asuka gave Shinji a warm smile. "No, we're getting along just fine, Misato." She said, airily.

"Riiiight!" Misato drawled. "Put Rei on. I want to make sure you're not a pod person, or something."

"_Fine_! See ya soon." She handed it over to Rei.

"Hello, Major." She said softly.

"Hi, Rei. I'm glad you found Shinji and Asuka so quickly, but I wish you could have waited until we were ready to search for them." Misato was trying her best to sound angry at Rei. It wasn't very convincing.

"I grew impatient with all the tests and being ignored. So I took matters into my own hands. As it turns out, it was fortuitous I did so." She shivered.

"Why?" Misato was intrieged.

"Because if I had not, you would be mourning Shinji's demise by now." Rei sounded almost angry.

"WHAT!" She screeched.

"I found him just as he was about to be killed by a looter." Rei explained.

"Put Shinji on." She demanded.

"Yes, Major." Rei handed it back to Shinji, who did not look happy with her. "What?" She asked as she too put her gun away. In the background, Asuka was rolling her eyes at Rei's big mouth.

"You could have left that part out, Rei. She didn't need to know that, yet." He whispered as he put it to his ear. "Hi Misato."

"What on earth is Rei going on about?"

"It's a long story, Misato. I'll tell you about it when we get to where you are, okay."

"No, not okay! Spill it!"

Shinji took a deep breath. "It's nothing to worry about. I got a little banged up. My ribs are a bit sore. Otherwise, I'm fine. I'll see you soon." He tossed the walkie-talkie back to Mina. "She's all yours." The three of them picked up their packs and headed for the SUV. Goto followed them before Mina had a chance to give the walkie-talkie to him. He gave her a small wave as he walked off.

She mouthed the word 'bastard' at him before answering the insistant voice coming from the device.

Asuka took Shinji's hand again. "That was a bit mean, Shinji." She gave him a lopsided grin. "Bout time I started rubbing off on you." He returned her grin and gave her hand an extra squeeze.

------------------------------

Notes: Heh! Hands up anyone who thinks that it's going to be that easy. I whacked most of this chapter out in one seven hour marathon writing session. Big mistake! I'm stuffed! Oh, and thank you to everyone who sent in details and specs about the gun I mentioned, last chapter. It's appreciated.


	11. Chapter 11

N.G.E.: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

By: Tezza1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: And thus, the Light spoke unto me_; "All this will be yours, except Evangelion. It has been promised unto GAINAX and Hideaki Anno, and them alone." _And Lo, I was bitterly disappointed. And I gave voice to this disappointment. And the Light replied_; "Quit whining, ya big cry-baby! Go write your own version then! **Idiot**!" _And as I looked into the Light and found a cute, blue-eyed face framed by bright red hair with neural clips reaching down for me, I made water in my pants. _"Now, about those scars you gave me - " _

DAY FOUR Part Three

Notes: having found the three pilots they had been searching Tokyo-3 for, Agent Goto Watashi guides them back to the car, leaving Agent Mina Kusimoto to return to the task he had burdened her with . . .

* * *

Thinking dark thoughts about Goto as her fellow Agent walked off with the pilots, Mina began talking to a somewhat pissed-off major again. She begins with what she thought Misato would be worried about the most.

"Major? It's Agent Kusimoto here. Pilot Ikari seems fine, apart from some bruising. Although, he is favouring his ribs a bit."

"Do you think he's in any danger?" Misato asked, instantly worried.

"No. He's actually in good spirits. So are the other pilots. It's weird."

"How so?"

"Well, they have never been the happiest of children, for obvious reasons. Yet-" She paused, trying to order her thoughts.

"Well, come on! Don't keep me in suspense." Misato demanded when Mina stopped talking.

Mina sighed. "Okay. For starters, all three of them are getting along surprisingly well. Almost like normal teenagers. Pilot Ayanami is talking easily with the other two. Even Pilot's Sohryu and Ikari are acting friendly towards each other. In fact, I think I just saw them hold hands." She squinted at the pilots, trying to confirm that fact as they walked away.

"Say WHAT?"

Mina winced as her superior squealed in her ear. "I can't say for sure, right now. I'll keep an eye on it."

"You better! I wanna know if I've won the bet!" Misato crowed. "GO SHINJI!" She yelled, trying to encourage him from where she was.

"Speaking of the Second Child-" Mina swapped the walkie-talkie to her other ear, hoping the ringing sound she now heard would not be permanent.

"Yeah, what's up with Asuka? Not being a pain, is she?"

"Not too much, as yet. But she _is _sporting some scars."

That got her into 'serious' mode. "How bad? And where?" She demanded.

"She doesn't have any bandages over them, so I think that it's just her skin that's scarred. One is over her left eye. The other, along her right arm. She is covering them with her clothes and hair quite well, but they are still visible." Mina paused as she heard the other woman gasp. "Major?"

'_Oh Asuka.' _Misato thought sadly. She had seen the footage of the battle against the production-model EVA's, so she had a fair idea where they had come from. She also breathed a sigh of relief that they weren't worse. "Mina, whatever you do, DON'T draw attention to them! Asuka has always been very proud of her appearance."

Mina nodded. "I know, Major. Goto and I have guessed that much already. We won't say anything."

"Thank you." Misato sounded relieved. "She will probably act like a bitch at some point today. It's part of her nature, unfortunately. So try to ignore it as best as you can." She sniggered as a thought occurred to her. "Just think of it as extra incentive to get her back here quicker!"

"Thank you, Major. We figured that out, too." Mina groaned inwardly. "We _have_ guarded her in the past, you know?"

"I do. And Rei? Are you sure the others have accepted her new appearance?" Misato was worried the most about that, especially considering Shinji's reaction when he had found out about Rei's true origins.

"Yes, Major. Pilot Sohryu is relaxed in her company. And Pilot Ikari seems to be treating her like a sister." Mina smiled as she recounted to Misato the story of how the three pilots had got the drop on them, including how protective the two girls were towards Shinji. The major interrupted when she got to the part about the girls having guns.

"_They're ARMED? Both of them?" _That threw Misato completely. "I know Rei took one of the guard she knocked out, but did the other come from?"

"Don't know. Should make for an interesting story, when we hear it."

"Yes. And the sooner the better." Misato came to a decision.

"Pardon?"

"I am going to meet you half way, Agent Kusimoto." She said in a firm voice. "This is not an attack on your professionalism, nor is it about the fact that two of them are injured. I just . . . want to see my kids."

Mina sighed, knowing it would be useless to try and talk her out of this action. "Yes Major." They got busy figuring out where to meet.

**Meanwhile, down the beach**

Walking behind them, Goto observed the three pilots behaviour. He wasn't surprised to see Rei trying to avoid looking at the man-made lake. What was left of her avatars face had freaked out more than a few of the search party when they had come across it, earlier. Nor was he really surprised to see Shinji doing his best to comfort her. Their friendship, stilted though it was, was common knowledge to those whose duty it was to guard them. What made his eyes pop were the actions of the Second Child. She was aiding Shinji in his efforts to distract Rei's attention. And not in a cruel way, either. Asuka was engaging Rei in conversation, moving from subject to subject, keeping the girls focus centred away from the lake. She kept it up until they reached the SUV. He called out to them before they tried to get in.

"Here, put these on, please." He asked, pulling out three bullet-proof vests from the back of the SUV. "Until you are safely down in the GeoFront, Tokyo-3 is to be considered hostile territory. Misato's orders." He added as Asuka looked like she was going to argue with him. She tried to anyway, but gave up when she saw Shinji and Rei begin putting them on without complaint. Grumbling, she complied with as much ill grace as she could muster. Goto turned away to see what was keeping his partner, so he missed Shinji leaning in and whispering that he thought she still looked cute. Asuka squirmed as his breath tickled her ear.

"MINA, shift your arse, will you! We're sitting ducks out here." He called to her. Mina gave him a dirty look as she approached.

"Got vests on them? Good. Let's go. You're driving." She said as she strode past him.

"Why? It's your turn." He complained as she began to climb in to the passenger side.

Mina paused. "Consider it your punishment for leaving me to talk to Misato like that." She frowned. "She's not very happy with us, right now."

Shinji's ears pricked up at that. Continuing to struggle with the vest, he asked. "Why?"

They both turned to him. "Because _you_ got injured out here." Goto replied briefly.

"Oh." Shinji absorbed that piece of information. "I hope she doesn't blame you, or anything?"

Mina waved her hand dismissively. "Nah! It's just that she thinks of you pilots as her kids, that's all. You especially, Pilot Ikari." She shrugged. "Anything happens to you outside of an EVA, she blames Section-2."

"I'm not surprised." Asuka sneered. "Frankly, the number of times you lot lost track of Shinji since he got here, I'm amazed any of you still have jobs." The Agents opened their mouths to give her a piece of their mind when they were beaten to the punch.

"Asuka? Don't be mean! You know what Misato can be like." The Second Child rounded on Shinji. Before she could get angrier he added in a playful tone; "Besides, who was it that used to tell me that I was better at running away than anyone else she knew?" He gave her a lop-sided smile, hoping to defuse her temper.

"I did." The words slipped out before she could stop them. Asuka started to apologise when he continued as if he had been expecting her reply.

"So why are you surprised that Section-2 kept losing the Invincible Shinji, huh?" He grinned. "If The Great Asuka Langley Sohryu said it, then it _must_ be true." He raised his eyebrows at her, seeking confirmation.

The Agents looked on in complete confusion as Shinji teased Asuka gently. And they damn near fainted when she relaxed and gave him a shy smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Flatterer." She reached out and took hold of his hand. "You used to be harder to stay angry at, y'know."

"I know." He leant in and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Good thing we're past that then, isn't it?"

She was about to reply when the Agents spoke up. Both of them had been on duty watching these two enough to know that what they were witnessing right now was theoretically impossible.

"_What the hell?"_

"_When did this start?"_

Asuka and Shinji looked at each other with annoyed expressions on their faces. "We're going to have to go through this every time we meet someone who knew us before, aren't we?" Asuka commented tiredly. Shinji nodded. "_Fine_, lets do it right, then!" Releasing his hand and embracing him, Asuka turned to the Agents and said in a lecturing tone; "I, Asuka Langley Sohryu, have the good fortune to be dating Shinji Ikari. _Deal with it_!" She then spun back and began delivering a thorough snogging to an unresisting Shinji.

"They've been going on like that since before I found them. " Rei clarified in a bored voice for the Agents as she came up to them. "Can we get going now? I really do not want to be here anymore." With that, she went and sat in the back seat of the car, making sure to face away from the lake.

Mina and Goto looked from the disinterested Rei back to the other pilots who were still making out.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Goto said in a tired voice.

"Yup! We owe the Major 10,000 yen." Mina answered in the same tone. "Damn, who'd a thought?"

Gathering their wits, Mina headed for the passenger side again as Goto went to separate the two teens. Finally, with everyone in the car and buckled up, they got underway.

After travelling in silence for a while, Asuka got peckish. Turning and reaching into the back, she rummaged around her pack for a snack.

"Be careful what you touch back there, Pilot Sohryu." Goto said as he started weaving around the ruins on the beach.

"Why?" Asuka replied in a disinterested voice.

"Because those boxes your moving around are filled with leftover JSSDF ordinance from their attempted takeover." Mina answered.

That got her attention. "So what are you doing with them?"

"With the army gone, all their toys were just left lying around. Part of our orders are to secure it when we come across it out here, so no one else does. Like say, the looters."

Asuka's curiosity got the better of her and she enquired as to the contents.

"We've come across mostly shaped charges and grenades, today." Goto responded conversationally. "Yesterday, it was weapons, ammo and rockets."

Shinji was curious. "What did they need that for, this far away from the GeoFront?"

Rei answered him. "Tokyo-3 is honeycombed with tunnels and alternate routes from the surface to the GeoFront, my brother, in addition to our EVA launch tubes. I surmise that they were attempting to block any attempt by NERV's forces to outflank them. And to seal off escape routes."

The Agent nodded in agreement. "Exactly. But with the damage incurred to the city over the past few months by the Angels, plus NERV's dwindling repair budget, they didn't need as much as they thought they would. This is why we're finding so many explosives."

"So, none of those tunnels work anymore?" Hope fading for an easy way down, Shinji asked anyway.

"Some do, closer to the GeoFront." Goto replied. "Pilot Ayanami-"

"Ikari." Rei interrupted. "I prefer to be known as Rei Ikari, now. 'Ayanami' was the name _he_ gave me." From the venom in her voice, no-one in the car had to ask who '_he'_ was. The former Commander had that effect on people.

"That could get confusing." Goto muttered.

"So just call me Shinji. I don't mind." Shinji said.

"Alright. As I was saying; Pilot _Ikari_ used one to get to the surface that even we in Section-2 didn't know about. I guess the Commander trusted you." He looked in the rear view mirror to see how she responded.

Another frown crossed her face. "I was his puppet, nothing more."

"And now?" Mina asked, curious.

"I am my own master." Rei said simply.

Both Agents nodded, satisfied that she wasn't lying.

Leaving the beach and turning into the city streets, Goto slowed down. While getting their charges back to safety was a priority, he didn't want to speed and risk an accident.

"Anyway, that's the one we are heading for right now. It was undamaged in the assualt and Third Impact, so our base camp is set up on top of it."

Shinji brightened. "Is that where Misato is?"

"Was." Mina corrected. "She is going to meet us half way."

"Great! " He turned to ask Asuka if she was going to give a repeat of her earlier performance in front of Misato, when the world went white.

Then black.

**In a building, some distance away.**

"I said 'stop the car', not destroy it!" A large man shouted as he backhanded the person who had just fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the SUV.

"Boss! It's okay. It just flipped over." Another one said quickly from his position at the window. The small group were on the third floor of a building.

Walking over and looking out, the leader say that the other man was telling the truth. As he watched, the smoke from the detonation cleared, revealing the car lying on its side, facing away from them. He noted that the front of the vehicle near the driver's side had bourne the brunt of the attack. It was horribly mangled. In his professional opinion, whoever had been driving most likely hadn't survived. Turning, he scowled at his men. "Right! Get your shabby arses down there and make sure that the Pilots are alive. And make sure they stay that way. They're no good to us dead." The looters scurried off. The Leader snagged one as he walked past. "Good job, by the way, cutting in on their frequency. Keep listening! We need to know if the spooks make a move to come here." The radio man nodded. "And call in the others. This could get ugly." The man nodded again and they both set off to follow the others in retrieving their prize.

**Back at the car. **

Shinji opened his eyes to find himself outside the SUV being cradled by Asuka. Groaning, he attempted to sit up. "I am really getting sick of being knocked around and passing out." He said weakly.

Asuka realised he was conscious and called to the others. "He's awake!"

"Um, what happened?" He frowned as Asuka let him rise in her arms.

"Not real sure, myself?" She answered as she gave him a quick once over.

Shaking his head to clear it and immediately regretting the action, he focused on Rei as she crawled over to them. "Rei, what's going on?" She was dragging their packs behind her.

"It seems that the looters have found us again." She replied with distaste. Looking behind her towards the overturned car, she continued. "Agent Watashi is dead. His side of the car took the full impact of the explosion that flipped us over. The rest of us have acquired only minor cuts. Agent Kusimoto pulled you out here and went back inside for weapons. You have been unconscious for only a few moments." Rei handed Asuka her pack as they both pulled out their guns again.

"What is she doing?" Shinji asked.

"Leaving a gift for those bastards." Mina answered as she exited through the broken windshield. Carefully looking over the top of the rolled car, she swore as a group of men made their way towards them, using what cover they could find. Crouching down she made her way over to the pilots. "They're coming! Let's head for that Hotel. Stay low and follow my lead." She shouldered a small pack of her own.

"Are you sure your partner is dead?" Shinji asked, as the two girls nodded at her instructions.

Mina paused and looked at the boy, fighting to keep her emotions in check. "Yes, I am sure. Nothing could be done for him, his wounds were too severe."

"Shinji." Asuka spoke quickly, knowing of his deep-seated need to feel responsible for others pain. "He's dead. We have to leave him. And as harsh as this sounds, he died doing his duty. That duty was to protect us from harm. Do not waste that. Make it worth something. Survive. Please." Shinji heard the unspoken plea behind her words. _'Survive. For me.'_

Burying the sadness at yet another death of someone around him and focusing on staying alive for those who care about him, Shinji nodded. "Okay." Getting to his feet, he followed Rei and Asuka's path away from the ruined SUV. Mina gave one last look at her partners final resting place, then moved away. _'Don't worry, Goto. You won't be going to the other side alone.' _She held the remote detonator in her hand a little tighter.

They reached the foyer just before the looters came around the car. Going further inside, they found hiding places behind the main desk, out of sight. Mina got a small miror out of a pocket and used it to look over the counter, back out to the street. Seeing that the group of about eight men were clustered around the car looking in, she grinned. "Amatuers." Looking over at the pilots, she jiggled the detonator at them and told them to cover their ears. Doing the same, she counted down from five. Reaching one, she squeezed the trigger.

**KA-BOOM!**

The car and the small crowd of looters surrounding it vaporised as four boxes of explosives detonated at the same time. Jagged pieces of hot metal rained down on the surrounding area, peppering the buildings with shrapnel. As the cloud of debree settled outside, an ominous creaking sound made itself heard. Looking about, they spotted cracks beginning to appear in the walls and the roof. They all paled as Rei spoke up.

"The shockwave from the explosion appears to have weakened the already damaged foundations of this building. I believe we should exit as quickly as possible, before it collapses."

"No shit!" Asuka quipped. She dragged herself upright and began to walk towards the street.

"Not that way! Through the hotel. Out the back." Mina ordered.

"Why? They're all dead, aren't they?" Asuka shot back.

"Most likely. But if they aren't, they will be waiting for us. In any case, they will have friends, and I don't want to meet them. So, out the back way!" Not waiting for an answer, she started herding them through the door into an adjoining restaurant. Bits of plaster began dropping from the ceiling behind them.

Rushing past overturned tables, they found the entrance to the kitchen. Going in, Mina pointed to the loading bay entrance at the rear. "Over there. Keep going." As the cracks forming along the walls reached the floor, it began to buckle under their feet. "Don't stop moving!" Mina shouted over the sounds of the dying building. Suddenly, the weight of the rooms above the foyer caused it to collapse in on itself. That sent a cloud of dust over the group, obscuring their vision. Behind them, the restaurant began to get smaller as the roof struggled to meet the floor. Asuka reached the door to the loading bay first. "It's locked!" She yelled, rattling the handle. Mina drew her gun and motioned the others to step back. A few well-placed bullets later, the door swung open. "Unlocked." As they began to walk through, a violent shudder ran under their feet. A splintering sound, followed by a yell, made the girls turn around. "SHINJI!"

Shinji, his luck running true to form, was standing right where two large cracks had met and opened up the floor. Screaming, he vanished.

"_SHINJIIIIII!" _Asuka tried to jump into the hole after him, but was restrained by Mina.

"Asuka! Listen to me." Mina shouted in the struggling girl's ear. "Stop! Think!"

Rei fell to her knees and leant over the side. Looking down, she shouted; "Shinji! Are you alive?" Panic skirted the edge of her voice.

A weak "Yes" floated up. Asuka froze at the sound of his voice. The kitchen ceiling began to sag.

"ASUKA! Look at me!" Mina demanded. Keeping a hand on Asuka and grabbing Rei by the front of her vest, she dragged them both back from the edge and shook them until they were focused on her and not the hole. "I want you and Rei to get out of this building before it comes down on us. I will stay with Shinji."

"Like hell!" Asuka bristled.

Ignoring the interruption, she continued, "You two have had basic survival training, including weapons. Shinji hasn't. And I am ex-military. So that makes me the best qualified to look after an injured pilot." Light fittings and ceiling tiles dropped to the floor around them. "I _will _keep him alive. I _will _get him back to you. I promise." Before she could react, Mina threw Asuka out into the loading bay, closely followed by Rei. Slamming the door shut after them, she stepped back and let the dropping ceiling wedge it shut. Ignoring the shouts from the other side, she carefully lowered herself down to where Shinji was below.

On the other side of the door, Asuka was still kicking and screaming at the door. Rei, realising the futility of trying to reason with the Second Child at that moment, grabbed her by the backpack and pulled her backwards out of the building.

Just as they made it outside, the hotel disintegrated. The girls kept running until they were across the street. Stopping, Asuka turned to tear Rei a new asshole for her actions when she noticed the tear-streaks running down her cheeks. When their eyes met, each saw the fear and anguish mirrored in the others face. Without a word, they turned and looked at the ruins they had left the most important person in their life behind in.

'_Shinji . . . ' _

* * *

Notes: Hello! This is Tezza's soul mate here - I wanted to kill him too for leaving the story on a cliffhanger. Yes I do get to read his stuff first but he doesn't write any faster for me either no matter how much I beg! I'm so glad so many of you are enjoying his stories! - The Soul Mate.

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	12. Chapter 12

N.G.E.: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

By: Tezza1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: For the last time, I DON'T OWN EVANGELION! I don't know who started that rumour, but it's completely false. GAINAX and Anno do, alright! This is the last I want to hear on the subject. It's a closed book. SHEESH. Some people.

Notes: HOW LONG? Holy crap! Sorry for the long delay, guys and dolls. I just haven't been in the mood to write, lately. The good news is that the next chapter should come out fairly quickly after this one. For MY sake as much as anything!

* * *

DAY FOUR Part Four

**The front of the hotel:**

The Boss of the looters looked on in shock as the overturned SUV disappeared in a flash of violence. Picking himself up and thanking his lucky stars that he had been delayed in following his men, he spotted movement in front of the hotel. He was about to charge in to the foyer with guns blazing when it collapsed. Silently fuming at how a simple 'snatch and grab' was fast turning into a complete debacle, he turned to his radio man and shouted that he wanted the others here, IMMEDIATELY! "I want those PILOTS!"

**The back of the hotel:**

Asuka walked back and forth around the spot that she and Rei had exited the former building, screaming Shinji's name. As the swirling clouds of dust finally settled and silence returned, she turned to Rei. The words she was about to hurl at the other girl died on her lips as she saw that Rei had clasped her hands over her heart and closed her eyes. Taking deep breaths and focusing her thoughts inward, she smiled after a moment and looked at Asuka with relief. "He's alive!"

**A few blocks away:**

Misato saw the rising cloud from the explosion and ordered the convoy of SUVs to pull over. Getting out for a clearer look, she wondered who had set them off. _'Shit! I hope the kids are still alright.' _After a moment, she climbed back in and demanded of the driver, "Get me there, NOW!"

**Underneath:**

"Shinji?" Agent Mina Kusimoto called into the darkness. "Where are you, kid?"

A low moan, followed by some coughing to her right, answered her query.

"Over _(hack) _over here, Miss Kusimoto." Shinji said, holding his shirt over his mouth until the dust settled enough for him to breathe easily. A snapping then shaking sound preceded a yellow glow from the other side of the room. The weak light allowed him to see the Agent making her way carefully over to his side. Kneeling, she asked if anything hurt as she looked him over for any obvious injuries. Trying to sit up, he winced when he moved his legs.

"My ankle! Something's wrong with my ankle." He reached down and touched it gently.

Mina held Shinji's hands away and gave him the glow stick to hold as she inspected his new injury. Manipulating it slightly, she apologised when he breathed in sharply at her touch.

"Well, the good news is that it doesn't seem to be broken, just very swollen." She sat back on her haunches and began rummaging through the first-aid kit he had fallen into the hole with still clutched in his hands. Shaking her head, she continued; "Damn, Shinji. If you didn't have bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck, would you?" Shinji smiled slightly at her voicing the same thought that had run through his head more than a few times this past year.

Grabbing two small pieces of wood from nearby, Mina fashioned a crude splint by placing them on either side of his ankle and wrapping bandages around them so they would brace his foot. She talked as she worked, explaining to Shinji why she was doing what she was doing. "Normally with a bad sprain, you would elevate it and compress some ice onto it for a while. Plus lots of rest. But, seeing as that isn't an option for us right now, we'll have to settle for bracing it somewhat so you can get mobile." Tying the last knot on the bandages, she leant back to inspect her handiwork. "A first-year med student could do better, but it'll last until I can get you to a real doctor." She huffed and blew some hair out of her eyes. Sitting down, she fished a bottle of water out of her own bag and drank some before offering Shinji the rest. As he swallowed the water greedily, Mina looked upwards, wondering.

"I hope those two got out alright?" She said out loud.

"Asuka and Rei?" Shinji asked. "Yeah, they're fine."

Mina looked at him, curious. "And you know this how, exactly?"

"Ummm." He tried to think of a way to explain how he knew without her thinking he was nuts. When he found he couldn't, he settled for telling her an abbreviated version of the theory he and Rei had worked out the night before. Mina listened patiently while he talked and thought to herself that whatever it was they put in the LCL, it must be some really good shit. "So, you and Pilot Ayan . . . Ikari-" Shinji cut her off with an upraised hand.

"Just call her Rei, would you. All that 'Pilot' stuff gets a bit annoying after a while."

Mina nodded. "Okay. You and Rei think that you're connected somehow, mentally. And, this . . . link allows the two of you to know where the other is."

"Yup! And before you say anything about how ludicrous an idea it is, remember: she tracked me down inside of one day."

Mina bit back those exact words before continuing. "Okay, that covers Rei. What about Asuka? You connected to her, too?"

Shinji scratched his head. "No. A bit of faith on my part. Rei knows how much Asuka means to me, so she wouldn't leave her behind. If Asuka hadn't gotten out, Rei wouldn't have, either."

"That's a LOT of faith you're putting in those two, considering they don't get along at all."

Shinji gave the Agent a cool look. "Think what you want, but I trust them both to look after each other."

Mina shivered slightly at his expression. _'What do you know; he's got a bit of his father in him, after all!'_

Gathering her thoughts, she asked about the other thing that had been bugging her. "So, you and the Second Child, huh! Got to say, none of us in Section-2 saw that one coming."

THAT got a blush out of him. "Yeah. Neither did I."

"If you don't mind me asking-"

"How did it happen?" She nodded. "I guess . . . she decided that I was turning into someone she could let past her defences."

Unable to think of anything to say after Shinji's honest answer, Mina settled for standing up and moving around the enclosed space they were in, looking for an exit. As she inspected the area, Shinji began to wonder at her silent reaction to his words. "What?"

"Nothing." She replied innocently as she followed a beam from the roof down to where it disappeared into the broken floor.

Shinji brought his glow-stick up to his face so Mina could clearly see the smirk forming there. "You know, whenever I used to say 'nothing' in that tone of voice, everyone used to tell me that I practically screamed at them to enquire further."

Mina sighed. "It's just that . . . you and _Asuka_?" Her tone suggested that she was still having trouble wrapping her mind around the fact. "You know, I was part of the team assigned to watch her when she arrived here. I've seen how she acted towards you and your friends, as well as Rei, and she has never treated you with anything but contempt since she showed up. How on earth did a sweet kid like you manage to start a relationship with a bitch like her?" Feeling around the base of the beam, she experimentally tried to pry a floorboard loose. It gave easily.

"It's really none of your business, Agent Kusimoto." He said coldly. "Suffice to say, she has changed. So have I. And we decided to give 'us' a shot."

"Okay! Your right! None of my business." She entreated. "I just hope it works out for you two. Heaven knows if anyone deserves some happiness, it's you pilots!" Pulling up more floorboards, Mina gradually uncovered a metal surface underneath. She kept going until she reached a vertical metal grill on one side. "A-ha! Thought so!" She announced triumphantly.

"What is that?" Shinji asked in amasement.

"That, Shinji, is the surface exit of a Thermal Venting Shaft." Mina announced proudly. Pulling out a Swiss army knife from one of the pockets on her vest, she began unscrewing a panel. She kept talking as she worked. "Tokyo-3 is honeycombed with tunnels and shafts leading back and forth to the Geo-Front. Some are Evangelion transport tunnels, some are like the one Rei used to get to the surface, and some are for ventilation. The Geo-Front is a closed environment. No fresh air gets in or out without human involvement. What we have here is one of many places where used air is pushed out. Because the air is warmer than normal, they put these types of vents underneath hot spots such as kitchens and the like, to hide the emissions."

"Why?"

"Because they are potental infiltration points. Weak spots in our perimeter. We don't have the manpower to monitor them all, so we hide them!" She removed the last screw and lifted open the vent. "And we don't have to worry about any defence systems, because everything was shut down during the invasion." Cracking another glow-stick, she dropped it down the shaft. It stopped falling a lot sooner than it should have. Turning back to Shinji, Mina cracked a genuine smile for the first time in a while. "It looks as if they partially filled this one with Bakelite. And if memory serves me, there is another resturant a block over, so we should be able to get out up another shaft like this one. Come on!" Her enthusiasm was contagious. Soon, Shinji and Mina were making their way down the shaft, equipment in tow.

**On the surface:**

The other two pilots were cautiously making their way back on to the main road. Asuka had wanted to stay near the fallen building and wait for Misato to show up, but Rei had countered with the argument that the other looters could show up at any time looking for revenge. Asuka had been willing to stand there and argue, until the sound of vehicles from behind them convinced her to start walking. The idea was to make their way towards the base camp the Agents had told them about, taking care not to be seen. Hopefully, they would run into Misato on the way. Once she took care of their pursuers, it would be a simple job to go back and dig out Shinji.

Asuka was deep in thought when she bumped into the back of Rei. "Huh! Wazzup?"

Rei ignored her and turned around to focus on the direction they had come from. "He's moving."

"Who is?"

"Shinji. I can feel him moving. He is going . . . down?" Rei considered various scenarios. "Agent Kusimoto must have found a maintenance shaft or some such. They are getting out under their own initiative." She began to walk faster in the direction of the base camp. "We must keep moving away from them!"

"What? Why?" Asuka demanded as she increased her own pace to match Rei's.

"Most of the tunnels underneath Tokyo-3 were filled with Bakelite to impede the assault by the JSSDF. If that particular one is unblocked and if they manage to get out via another exit, they will still be in this area. So the further we draw that gang away from Shinji, the better chance he and the Agent have of surviving. He is still wounded, remember."

"I remember." Asuka said softly. "Argh! Who would have thought surviving the end of the world would be so hard." She grumbled as they broke into a jog. _'Stay alive Shinji. Please.'_

**Not far enough away:**

"Well, well, lookie what we got here!" A scruffy man with binoculars said to his companion. "That them, do you think?" He handed the binoculars over.

"Yup! I'd recognise that red hair anywhere." He sneered. "I've got a score to settle with the other one, too." He said, tugging at the bandage around his head.

"And that's why you're going to stay here!" A third voice came from behind them. "I need them alive AND undamaged." The Boss said.

"What's the matter! Don't trust me to do what I'm told?" He snarled defiantly.

"No." The leader answered simply. "So you're going to sit your ass down and wait for the rest of us to return. Do you have a problem with that?" He asked, resting his hand lightly on the gun at his hip.

Looking from the gun to the other man's eyes, trying to gauge how serious he was, the looter finally let his shoulders slump in defeat. "Guess not."

"Good." Staring at him for a moment longer, the leader spun round and began issuing orders. As the gang was about to drive off in pursuit of the two female pilots, he reminded them that they were to be taken alive. "We can't ransom a corpse!" The men nodded and took off, leaving a small number behind, including the bandaged one.

**Twenty minutes later:**

Misato was looking at a map of the city on the hood of her car when the sound of gunfire came from the next street over. Crouching behind the SUV, she and her posse looked around trying to locate the source.

"It seems to be coming from behind this building, Major!" An Agent pointed to an abandoned office block across the street.

"Thanks! Form up, people! Do NOT open fire until I give the word." Misato and the others pointed their firearms in the direction of the rapidly approaching gunshots. As it got closer, a voice screaming obscenities in three different languages could be heard faintly over the noise. It was a tone that Misato recognised easily. _'**No** **way** do we get that lucky, straight off the bat!' _She thought with disbelief as Rei stumbled around the corner into view. The young girl was weaving about, as if concussed. Then Asuka appeared, teeth bared in a defiant snarl and firing short bursts at something further down the street. Grabbing Rei by the vest, she pulled her roughly around the corner, using it for cover. Ejecting the empty clip from her gun, she got another from her pocket and reloaded quickly. She popped her head out for a moment to look back down the street, and then brought the gun up to fire again. Rei raised her head and gasped. "_Asuka_! There's more of them!" She yelled, raising her gun. Asuka spun around and brought her own weapon to bear.

Misato's face lit up. "ASUKA! REI! DON'T SHOOT!" Standing up and racing towards them, she called over her shoulder to the other Agents. "It's the Pilots! Get over there. Cover formation." The others moved quickly to obey as Misato reached the girls. "What's the situation?" She demanded.

Rei gave the Major a brief assessment. "Looters are around the corner. They want to capture us and use us as a bargaining tool for their own ends. When we decided not to participate, the situation turned ugly."

As the Agents got into position and began to return fire in earnest, Misato dragged Asuka and Rei back towards the ring of SUVs. Once they were behind them, she pulled the two young girls into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh damn it's good to see you two! I was so worried!" She sniffled.

Both the girls stiffened momentarily, and then relaxed into the embrace. After a short time, they stepped back and looked her in the eye. "Misato, we have to go back. Shinji is still out there." Asuka demanded.

"What! How could you leave him behind?" Misato retorted angrily.

"Because a BIG FUCKING building was coming down on us, and that Agent threw us out before we could resist." Asuka spat back, righteously pissed that Misato could imagine her doing something like that, willingly.

When Misato looked to Rei for a more concise explanation, she noticed a scorch mark over the right breast of her vest. "Jesus, have you been shot, Rei? Are you all right?" She saw that the girl was shaking noticeably.

"I am functional." Rei commented in a weak voice as she slumped forward into Misato's arms.

'_Fuck_!' The Major called out to one of the Agents. "Satoshi! Take command here. I'm going to get these two back to the base camp."

"Yes major." The Agent turned back to the fire-fight. Misato picked Rei up and put her in the back of the SUV, telling Asuka to get in with her and keep her upright. Asuka complied without complaint.

Once they were underway, she started in on Misato again. "Damnit, listen to me! Shinji and . . . what was that other Agents name again?"

"Mina Kusimoto." Rei supplied.

"Yeah. Her. They are both trapped under a hotel that collapsed on top of us. According to Rei, Shinji is alive, so maybe she is too. We need to get to them before something else happens."

"Asuka, if he's trapped under a building and alive like you say, then that's the safest place for him to be right now. _We_ can't get to him. _They_ can't get to him." Making eye contact with the red-head in the rear-view mirror, she continued, "My priority is to get you two somewhere safe. THEN, I'll come back out here after him. I promise."

"It is not that simple, Major. Shinji and Agent Kusimoto are moving." Rei interrupted.

"Say again? How would you know that?" Misato was confused.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Short version: Shinji and Rei now have some weird bond. Part of that bond is that they both know where the other is. So if she says my Shinji is on the move, take it as gospel and don't try to understand."

Misato tried to process all the fragments of information she was being given before deciding to hear it all from the start and in order. "What has happened since I spoke to you last? Tell me everything."

"We were ambushed." Rei spoke again. She and Asuka took turns explaining recent events to Misato. Concluding the tale at finding her a few minutes ago, they fell silent. Misato thought furiously, working the angles in her mind. "I don't like it, but your right Asuka. We have to go back."

"Of course I'm right!" She leant over to Rei. "Can you still feel him? Is he okay?" She whispered.

Rei closed her eyes and consentrated hard. "So far. Major, you need to turn here. He is coming to the surface over that way." She pointed behind them, back towards the fighting. A faint look of worry crossed her face. "Hurry."

**In a tunnel, leading up: **

"So where do you think this one will come out?" Shinji asked as they climbed up rungs inside a tunnel that was smaller than the one they had climbed down. He was in the lead with Mina following up below.

"This is a maintenance shaft. I'm guessing that it will emerge underneath a small shop or garage. Something that would let a repair crew carrying equipment get in and out without attracting too much attention." Mina replied.

"Really? Cool." Shinji found it strange that SEELE and NERV would put so much effort into coming up with such inventive ways to do things, then turn around and work towards destroying it all with equal vigour.

Reaching the top, he swung out and let Mina climb up along side of him. Breaking out another glow tube, she studied the keypad above her, mumbling procedures to herself. Opening a panel off to the side, she lifted up a small tab and pumped it a few times. Upon hearing a click, she let it fall back into place and turned a knob beside it. "These doors have their own power supply, in case of an outage. What I'm doing now is restarting the system." Another click, followed by a beep, let her know she had been successful. Closing the panel, she turned her attention back to the keypad. "Now, all I have to do is input my security code and we are in business." A ten-digit code later, and they found themselves in a large room lit by emergency lights. After helping Shinji out of the manhole, Mina walked over to a screen and accessed its menu. Bringing up the security feed from outside the room, she cursed under her breath. Shinji hobbled over and took a look. "You have got to be kidding me!"

Outside, the bandaged looter and three friends were loitering out the front of the shop they were in.

Staring at the screen for a few moments, Shinji asked if there was another way out.

"No. Just the one exit." Her face clouded, and then brightened as a thought hit her. "Why are we worried? All we have to do is sit here and wait for them to leave. At any rate, the Major will come riding along with the cavalry sooner or later. _They_ don't know we're in here." She pointed at the looters. "So why worry? In fact-" She trailed off, looking around the room. Walking over to a locker, she opened it and peered inside. "Bingo!"

"What?"

"Walkie-talkie. NERV standard issue. It should patch in to the frequency our lot are using." She turned it on and fiddled with the settings. Finding the frequency she was looking for, she pushed the switch. "This is Agent Kusimoto, to Major Katsuragi. Do you read?" She repeated the hail three times before getting an answer.

"Mina? Is that you? Where the hell are you?" Misato's surprised voice came out of the speaker.

"We are in a secure maintenance shack inside a shop, across from where the ambush took place. Have you found the other pilots yet?" She replied, correctly deciphering Shinji's concerned look.

"Yeah. They're in the car with me, as we speak. Rei's been shot, but her vest took most of the impact. Asuka's okay too. I was taking them back to the base camp, but they talked me into coming to look for you two."

Upon hearing that, Shinji grabbed the walkie-talkie off Mina and yelled into it. "_Damnit, Misato_! Get those two to safety! We are alright. You can come back for us later." Scuffling could be heard over the link.

"_Up yours, baka-Shinji_! Did you seriously think I would abandon you out here? Or that Rei would?" Asuka shouted back. More scuffling could be heard. Finally, Misato came back on, shouting at Asuka. "-n't do that again, you hear me?" In a calmer voice, she continued. "Shinji? Mina? Rei says she can point us in your direction accurately. We are going to sneak up on your position and figure out what to do from there. We will call you when we get there. Okay?"

Shinji had handed it back to Mina by now. "Yes, Major. Understood."

"Tell them to hurry." Shinji added.

"Why?"

"Because they know where we are." He pointed at the screen, which showed the looters beginning to search for them inside the store.

"How the fuck-?" Mina looked at the radio in her hands and figured it out. "MAJOR! The looters have cracked the frequency we are using to talk! _They know where we are_! Get here as soon as you can. Out!" She turned it off and threw it across the room in frustration. "Son-of-a-BITCH!"

"What do we do now?" Shinji asked, heading for the hatch. A thumping sound made itself heard outside the door.

"Get down the hole before they get in here. If those arseholes have any common sense, they will think twice about following us down when they know we are armed." She began to open it when an explosion came from the doorway, throwing them both to the other side of the room. Holding their ears, they let the pain from a close range boom in an enclosed space fade.

Picking herself up and crawling over to Shinji, she made sure that he was okay.

"What did they do?" He asked groggily.

"Put a couple of grenades against the door, I guess. They must have figured out that we could escape the same way we got in, so they're trying to blow the door to get to us first."

Gathering his wits, he asked if the door was strong enough to hold out.

"Maybe. Let's not be here to find out." She went to the hatch again. Reaching for the keypad, she noticed it was dark. "Shit! Powers out again. I don't _need_ this right now!" Another explosion from the door threw her to the floor once more, next to Shinji. When she was able, Mina looked at the door. The bottom of it was forced inwards and the lock was barely holding out against the onslaught. "Ah, fuck it! Alamo time!" Dragging an inert Shinji into the furthermost corner from the door, she lay down in front of him and put her bag in front of them both. Drawing her gun and pulling another from the bag, she prepared for another blast.

When it came, it almost blew the door off its hinges.

As the smoke cleared, two of the looters came in cautiously, guns out. Scanning the room for bodies, they barely had time to register an indistinct lump in the corner before they were peppered with bullets. Screaming their last breath out, they flopped down in front of her, dead. Mina sent some more rounds out the door as she reached out and dragged the bodies over to use as extra cover. "Stay down, Shinji. It's not over yet." He nodded jerkily, fear etched all over his face. A shout of "DON'T! We need them alive!" came from outside as another grenade sailed into the room. It came to a rest next to the raised maintenance hatch.

**BOOM!**

As Mina took her hands away from her ears, she was honestly surprised to find that she was still alive. Peeking over the top of her fleshy barricade, she guessed that the force of the explosion had been blunted by the fact that the grenade had landed on the side of the hatch _away_ from her and Shinji. Having two dead bodies in front of them to absorb the shockwave didn't hurt, either. Sitting up, she turned towards the doorway just in time to see someone enter. Without thinking about it, she snapped off a quick shot. Seeing the silhouettes head snap back, she lowered her gun and turned back to check on Shinji's condition, not noticing the other person behind the one she had just killed. He gave her a brief smile, before his eyes slid behind her to the figure approaching them. When she saw him look past her, she spun around, cursing. As she drew a bead on the final looter, her shoulder burst into white-hot pain. Her gun flew out of her grip as she fell back across Shinji, crying out.

Shinji caught her as she slumped down, cradling her in his arms. Her head rolled back to face him. "I'm sorry, Shinji. I screwed up." Tears began to flow down her cheeks as she fainted from the shock.

"Awwww. Ain't that sweet." Shinji turned to face the voice. "Remember me, you little shit?" The bandaged looter stepped closer. "I'm supposed to take you alive. That was the plan, to use you for ransom and a free ticket out of this crappy city. But, you know what?" He grinned evilly. "Fuck it! I'm really not in the mood." He fingered the bandages around his head. "I owe your two bitches for the pain they've caused me. But, seeing as they aren't here, I guess I'll have to take it out on you, instead." Standing over Shinji and Mina, he grinned down at them. "Her first. Then you." Shinji's eyes flamed with the hate he felt towards this cruel man as he pointed the gun at her head. "Sayonara!" He squeezed the trigger.

BLAM!

* * *

Notes: THE END!

Moo-Hoo-Ha-Ha! Just kidding. I have been waiting to write that scene for six months now. Ohhhh, that felt soooooooo good. Hopefully the next chapter won't be so far away. Fingers crossed!


	13. Chapter 13

N.G.E.: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

By: Tezza1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: Don't own, so don't sue. Please, oh please, let me continue.

Notes: Well, to say that I left you on a cliff-hanger would be an understatement, wouldn't it! (I am really getting an unhealthy buzz out of doing that to you, my loyal readers. _Shame on me_!) Not to worry, the show will go on. It's just that I'm a serial procrastinator!

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DAY FOUR Part Five

**On the way to the shop housing the maintenance shaft room:**

_(MAJOR! The looters have cracked the frequency we are using to talk! **They know where we are! **Get here as soon as you can. Out!) _

As the Mina's voice faded from the walkie-talkie in her hands, Misato looked at the other girls. "Not good."

"No shit!" Asuka replied. "If you get us there in time, Misato, I will never say a bad thing about your driving skills again!"

Gunning the engine, she began to weave down the road, oblivious to the danger to driving that fast in a ruined city. Rei called out lefts and rights, seemingly at random, until she finally pointed to a shop across from the fallen hotel.

Turning off the car's motor while they were still moving, they quietly rolled to a halt around the back of the store. Getting out, Misato briefly considered trying to order the other two to stay in the car, but quickly discarded it. The inevitable argument would alert the looters to their presence. Looking at the girls, she told them to obey any orders she gave without hesitation, or else. They both nodded in agreement, the seriousness of the situation they were walking into uppermost in their minds. Arming themselves, they left the car.

As they made their way around the side of the shop, the third grenade went off.

"What the hell was that!" Asuka asked.

"I'm guessing Shinji and Mina have locked themselves inside. And THAT was an attempt to force open the door." Misato responded, risking a look through an open window. She saw that the door was indeed open and buckled inwards, and the first two looters walking into the room cautiously. "Shit! They're in!" The trio moved around to the front of the store hastily. As they made it to the front entrance, gunshots and screams could be heard inside.

"_Shinji?_" Asuka whispered fearfully. The Major indicated for her and Rei to hold position there.

Misato moved silently down the aisles towards the maintenance shack at the back of the store. As she reached an entrance to the rear of the shop, she heard some shouting followed by another grenade going off. Cursing her lack of speed, she began to move into the next room as another gun shot rang out. Pulling back, she noticed Asuka and Rei creeping forward towards her. Giving them both a fierce glare and motioning them to stop where they were, she almost missed the last looter raising his gun and stepping through the ruined doorway. _'Crap!' _Misato moved quickly as a shot was heard, followed by a yelp of pain. Tripping on the body lying inside the doorway in her haste, she cursed again as the looter fired another shot. Fearing the worst and hell-bent for revenge, she burst into the room just in time to see the bandaged looter topple over backwards.

"What the-?" Shocked by this turn of events and keeping her attention firmly on the body in case he was faking, she almost failed to see something wink out of existence in front of Shinji. _'-fuck was that?' _She blinked, trying to split her focus between what ever it was and the body in front of her. _'Gone. Damn. Okay, first things first. Secure the area.'_Walking over, she put two bullets in the fallen looter's head to make sure he was dead, and then rushed to Shinji's side. "Shinji? Mina? Are you two okay?"

"Mina's been shot in the arm, Misato. We need to do something about the bleeding." Shinji said weakly, still recovering from the effects of the barrage of grenades. Misato raised the Agent off him and began dressing her wound just as a red blur descended on the boy.

"ShinjiareyouokayareyouhurtIwassoworriedwewouldn'tgethereintimedon'tscaremelikethateveragain-" Asuka babbled a mile a minute as she clung to the object of her affection, squeezing the breath out of him. Rei entered at a more sedate pace, carefully scrutinizing the body of the bandaged looter before turning to Shinji and catching his eye. "_We need to talk_." She mouthed silently, as she leant down to try and prise Asuka off him before he ran out of oxygen. "Asuka, he is alive and relatively unharmed. If you continue to clutch at his neck in such a fashion, that will change." She admonished gently.

Asuka finally noticed he was going blue and released him. Taking the opportunity, Rei crouched next to him and gave Shinji a far less strenuous embrace. "I am glad that you are safe, my brother."

"So am I." He responded, putting an arm around both the girls' shoulders and drawing them into a weak hug. They stayed that way for a moment before he drew back and faced Misato. Waiting until she had finished dressing Mina's wound as best she could, he got her attention. Giving her a shy smile, he moved over to her. "I'm looking at you, but I still can't believe you're alive." He said in an uncertain voice, as if expecting her to vanish suddenly in a puff of smoke. Awkwardly reaching into his pocket, he removed the cross and handed it to her. "I kept my promise." He stated quietly.

Blinking back tears, Misato pulled him into a rib-cracking embrace. "Oh, Shinji!" She repeated over and over, as she buried her face in his neck and rocked slightly from side to side. A loud "_Ahem_!" from Asuka put an end to the tender reunion. Grinning mischievously, Misato couldn't resist whispering seductively in his ear as she let him go. "Want me to keep mine?"

Shinji choked and went red before gamely whispering back, "Thanks for the offer, but I think Asuka would kill both of us! _Slowly_. Over many months." She giggled and gave them both an affectionate look.

"So! You and Asuka, huh? About bloody time!" Ignoring the indignant stares she was getting from Asuka, she shook the Agent gently, rousing her. "Mina. Wake up. We need to get mobile before the rest of those bastards figure out something's happened here."

Groaning, the other woman became alert. Sitting up, she winced as she put pressure on her injured arm. "What the-? How did _that _happen?" The memory slipped back into place as she spoke. "_Oh_! Right. Ow!" Noticing Misato, Mina became all business. "Hello Major. What happened? Who took out the last looter?"

"I thought-? One of you two must have." She replied, confused. "I made it into the room just as he fell over backwards with a bullet hole under his chin." They both looked at Shinji, who was being fussed over by the other two pilots.

"But, he's hopeless with a gun. Do you think-?" Mina asked softly.

"Honestly? I don't know." Misato thought about it for a moment, before pushing it to the back of her mind. "Time enough to puzzle it out later. Lets get somewhere safe first." Helping the Agent to her feet, Misato kept talking as Rei picked up the packs and Asuka half-carried Shinji out of the room. "The group that were chasing Asuka and Rei should still be engaged in a gunfight with Section-2, over that way." She nodded towards the right. "So they will be occupied for a while. Hopefully, it will keep them busy long enough for us to go around them and get back to the base camp without further trouble." Exiting the shop and helping Mina into the passenger side of the SUV, Misato checked in to find out what had happened.

"Base camp, this is the Major. This frequency has been compromised. I repeat, this frequency has been compromised. Switch all communications over to alternate frequency three, now." Twisting a knob on the walkie-talkie, she waited a minute before talking again. "That should throw them off for a few minutes. Now, I have all three pilots with me and I need a safe route home."

"This is base camp, Major. The hostiles that your party ran into broke contact and withdrew once they saw you driving off with the pilots. Their current whereabouts are unknown. Our people did not give chase, and are waiting for orders."

"Right." Misato sighed. _'What do we have to do to catch a break, today?' _"Any ideas on what direction we should head in?"

"Base camp. Major. This is NERV H.Q." A third voice broke in. "Major, given your current location, we suggest heading towards GeoFront Railcar Entry 08. The JSSDF left it undamaged for their own usage during the invasion. An appropriate reception will be waiting for you there if you are pursued by unfriendlies."

"How do you know our position, H.Q.?" Misato asked, confused.

" . . . That is not information to be shared over an unsecured communication, Major."

"Very well." Misato replied in an annoyed voice. "We will follow your recommended route. Did you copy that, base camp?"

"We copy. We'll send patrols out to try and take some heat off you and keep them tied up. Base camp out."

"H.Q. out."

"Major out." Misato threw the walkie-talkie into the front seat before getting in herself_. 'How the hell did they know where we are?' _Turning around, she looked at her charges. Asuka and Rei sat on either side of Shinji, holding an arm each. He was looking from one to the other with a bemused yet happy expression on his face. '_It can't be? But which one?_' She pushed her suspicions to the back of her mind. "Looks like we're in for some more driving. Everyone buckled in? Good. Here we go!" All her passengers gulped as she sped off towards Railcar Entry 08.

Seeing as both girls were curious about what had happened to him after the hotel collapsed, Shinji began talking while the destroyed scenery flew past. Their respect for Mina went up a few notches as he recounted how she had taken care of him. When he finished, he asked what they had been up to. When he heard about the running fire fight and that Rei had also been shot, he freaked. Rei quickly reassured him that she was fine, apart for some bruising. After giving her a quick hug and sternly suggesting that she join him in the medical unit when they got back to NERV for a check-up, he turned to Asuka and kissed her, much to her surprise and delight.

"Thank you." He whispered in her ear.

"Why?" She wasn't complaining about the unexpected smooch, just curious.

"Because even though I know you two don't get along very well, you saved her. And that means a lot to me." He looked her in the eye, trying to convey how proud he was of her. Asuka squirmed under his gaze.

"Yeah well, if she didn't make it, you would be miserable. Then _I'd_ be miserable. So it was really just enlightened self-interest. That's all." She grumbled, trying to make it all sound like a pragmatic decision and failing miserably. Seeing that he wasn't buying it, she grudgingly admitted the truth. "Alright, alright! She's my friend. And nobody fucks with my friends. Satisfied!" As well as squirming, she was beginning to blush again at the adoring look he was giving her.

"With you? Always." Shinji said as he gave her another kiss.

In the front seats, Misato asked Mina if they were like this all the time.

"Pretty much. Shinji seems to sweating valium from his pores, or something." The Agent shrugged. "I honestly can not explain how he manages to keep those two in line."

"Intelligence and charisma!" Came Rei's unsolicited reply.

"And the cutest buns in Tokyo-3!" Asuka threw in her own two cents.

Mina looked surprised at the comments coming from the back seat. Misato just shrugged. "They've got a point. Looks, brains, and now confidence. I'll have to spread the word after things settle down. 'Lock up your daughters!'" She teased.

Mina joined in. "You'll have to include NERV personnel in that, Major." Misato looked curious. "What! You never noticed the looks Shinji got from some of the younger techs when he walked around in his plug-suit?" Asuka growled at that.

Shinji tried to curl up into a small ball to escape the lewd teasing that was coming from the front seats while Asuka was loudly demanding to know the names of just _who_ was making eyes at _her_ Shinji. Seeing his distress, Rei patted his head sympathetically. Raising his head to give her a grateful look, he turned to Asuka to try and get her to let it go.

'_Ah crap! Here we go again._' He thought as he saw an unidentified jeep pulling closer to them over Asuka's shoulder. "Misato! Company!"

Everyones heads' swivelled to the left side of the SUV just as the jeeps occupants opened fire. Misato began evasive manoeuvres while Asuka pulled her gun out and returned fire. Mina noticed the angle they were firing at. "They're going for our tyres!" She yelled as she too began shooting.

"Another on this side, three coming up from behind!" Rei called out as she copied their tactics and aimed low. With all the bouncing around on the rough road, neither side was accurate in their aim. While this meant that the SUV was not getting hit much, it also meant that targeting their enemies was not easy, either.

Seeking to avoid being boxed in by the looters, Misato sped up and pulled into a narrow side street, trying to gain some distance while the other vehicles had to enter the alleyway in single file. Flying out the other end, she spun the car into a hard turn, not wanting to lose speed braking. A quick look in the mirrors showed the looters flying out of the alley one at a time. Gaining precious seconds, Misato accelerated sharply, throwing everyone into their seats. "Everyone still alive?" She yelled.

"So far." Asuka replied. "Do you have anything nastier than handguns in this heap?"

"No!" The Major shook her head. ""This was simply supposed to be a case of 'get in, get you, and get out.' We weren't expecting these turds to be so damned tenacious."

"Great! So whats the plan?"

Misato hunched forward in concentration. "Stay ahead of them."

Asuka tried to burn a hole in the back of her head with her eyes. "That's it? _'Stay ahead of them!_' That's the plan?" She shouted.

"Tell you what, Asuka. How about we pull over to the side of the road and you enlighten us as to your own brilliant idea for getting us into the GeoFront in one piece." The Major shouted back sarcastically. As Asuka opened her mouth to retort, the back window exploded inwards, showering the back seat. Covering their faces with their arms, the three pilots carefully brushed off the glass and peeked over the back of the seat. The jeeps had spread themselves in a loose line across the street, allowing them to shoot freely without hitting each other. There were now eight of them. Misato calculated the odds of staying alive long enough to make it to safety. '_This is going to be close._' She thought when she finished. Tightening her grip on the steering wheel, she began to employ every trick she had learned about defensive driving.

Ten minutes later, the boss of the looters had formed the opinion that the driver of the NERV SUV was either a former stunt man, or completely insane. Even with a flat tyre, they were still managing to pull ahead of their pursuers. And as the splintered windshield in front of him attested, their aim was improving with time. Cursing when he lost sight of them as they took a turn on two wheels down another side street, relief bloomed in his mind as the SUV came into sight. They were finally slowing down. That feeling soon turned to fear as he realised just _why_ they were slowing down. All eight jeeps screeched to a stop in a large empty space as the SUV rolled inbetween two similar vehicles at the far end of a wide semi-circle made up of appropriated JSSDF half-tracks. There were about a dozen of them, all with Browning .50 calibre M2HB's mounted on the back and pointing in their direction. Misato had led the looters into the perfect kill-zone. They didn't even have time to wet themselves before the defenders opened fire.

Ignoring the massacre going on behind them, Misato pulled up beside a lieutenant. "Major Katsuragi, reporting in with the pilots. Where's the entrance to the railcar? I've got wounded in here." She demanded.

He saluted. "Through here, Major." He pointed to a large doorway to her left. "I'll let them know that you're on your way down."

_WOOSH_---**CRUMP!**

"What the hell was that?" Asuka yelped in surprise as an explosion came from behind them.

The lieutenant smiled. "Rocket launchers, ma'am. We positioned a few in the buildings three storeys up, just in case any of the looters managed to survive the crossfire and tried to get out the way they came in."

Misato returned the smile. "Planning ahead. I like it! Please let your commanding officer know that I would like a report on the clean up as soon as possible."

"Yes Major. And congratulations on finding them." He saluted again as she drove off with a wave.

As the railcar began its winding journey down into the geoFront, Misato turned to Mina and quietly expressed her gratitude for bringing her kids back in one piece. "And, I'm sorry about Goto. I know you two were friends." She leant in and gave her a brief hug.

"Yeah. We were, sorta." Mina shrugged uncomfortably. "We both had the afternoon shift watching Asuka and Shinji, so we spent a lot of time in the car outside your unit. Plenty of time to talk. The occasional drink after a shift. Listening to his bad jokes, just to pass the time." Mina looked at Misato. "I mean, in our line of work, it's always a possibility that something like this can happen. It just goes with the job. But, it does feel weird that I won't be seeing him again." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I dunno. Once the shock of being shot wears off, I'll probably get the shakes, or something. But, right now? I'm just feeling numb."

Misato nodded in understanding. "Well, let me know if you want to talk. We'll go get a drink somewhere and offer up a toast in memory."

"It's a date." She mumbled as she shut her eyes to rest for a while.

Reaching the GeoFront floor, Misato handed her charges into the waiting arms of the medical staff for a quick ride to the hospital. Shinji made sure that Mina was seen to first before allowing himself to be examined. Misato walked with her a bit on the way to the operating theatre to make sure she would be alright, and then turned back to the E.R. Meanwhile, a problem emerged straight away when Asuka and Rei both refused to be separated from Shinji for any length of time. It was only natural, considering what they had all been through the last four days. The doctors, wanting to take them to separate rooms for a full physical, were having none of it. They weren't used to the pilots not following their orders. Hearing the raised voices and realising things were getting out of hand, plus the fact that both girls were still armed, Misato quickly stepped in with a compromise. Eventually, in a single room with plenty of partitioning screens so they could hear and see (kind of) each other, the doctors set about their work. After they were done, the pilots tucked into a big meal. Then, exhausted, they curled up in their respective beds in the same room and settled in for the night.

**NERV H.Q. Later that night:**

"Well Major? How are they?" Fuyutski asked as Misato walked onto the bridge to deliver her report.

"The doctors had just finished giving all three children a complete physical before I left." Misato began reading from the clipboard in her hand. "Shinji has some severe bruising on his torso, a black eye and other assorted minor injuries, curtsey of the looters. Plus a cracked rib. And he's still hearing a ringing sound in his ears, from being in the same room as an exploding grenade. The doctors assure me that it isn't permanent, and will fade. Asuka is still slightly malnourished as a result of her breakdown before Third Impact. She is also wearing some scars from her battle with the mass produced EVA's. One runs the length of her right arm. Two smaller ones are across her left eye. The eye itself is slightly traumatised, but functional. And other than a nasty bruise where the vest took the impact of where she was shot, Rei is in perfect health. Oh, and the doctors took blood samples from Shinji and Asuka for analysis by the MAGI."

"And the Agent?"

"Agent Kusimoto is still in surgery, having a bullet removed from her shoulder. The surgeon expects no complications."

"Good." Fuyutski nodded, satisfied with how events had turned out. "Anything else?"

"Yes sir." She replied in a nervous tone. "I was wondering how you knew our position, this afternoon."

The bridge bunnies froze at her question. Fuyutski stepped closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Did you notice anything . . . out of the ordinary when you rescued Shinji and Agent Kusimoto this afternoon Major?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Misato's voice dropped to match the older mans. "As I entered the room, for a moment I could have sworn I saw an A.T. field in between Shinji and the final looter, but it was gone before I could be sure. And when I checked the body, I saw that the bullet wound which killed him had entered his head on such an angle that it could have only come from Shinji. _But Shinji wasn't armed_!"

Fuyutski nodded. "An A.T. field registered on our instruments for a few seconds about the same time. When we fed the readings into the MAGI, it told us that the field was similar to an EVA's, but not an exact match. That's how we knew your location." He let that sink in. "To add to the confusion, Rei's blood sample came back with some discrepancies. It seems her DNA has changed from what it was before. It also doesn't match our records of Shinji's DNA, yet physically they are twins. We will need to analyse the samples from Shinji to be sure."

"What aren't you telling me?" Misato didn't like where the conversation was heading.

He took a deep breath. "There are Angelic components present in her DNA."

"But if they're twins . . ." Her eyes flew wide open as the thought hit her. "And she was outside the room, right behind me! So, it could have been either of them that created the field!"

Fuyutski nodded. "Or both of them, working in combination." He thought for a moment. "It's one of many questions that can wait until after they have had a good nights rest, I think. The situation is now stable enough that there is no need to rush for answers."

Misato looked curious. "How are things going with the UN and the Japanese government? I've been meaning to ask, but-"

"I have been keeping them at bay with veiled warnings so far." He smiled tightly. "Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to teleconference with the Prime Minister and the Secretary General about our status, and where we go from here. Hopefully, they will be in a mood to listen to my suggestions on the matter, otherwise we could have another bloodbath on our hands here." He ran his hand through his hair. "That's why I want to speak to those kids before I talk to anyone else. Seeing as Shinji and Rei were both at the centre of Third Impact, I'm hoping they can resolve a few mysteries about what happened. _Anything_ that could help me deal with those bureaucrats!"

'_Better you than me!_' Misato thought sympathetically at the idea of trying to get government officials to commit to a plan of action with any sort of speed. 'We _could all die of old age before they get their act together._'

"Well, hopefully things will become clearer tomorrow, sir. With your permission, I would like to stay near the children tonight." She gave her superior a shy smile. "For my own peace of mind. Sir."

Fuyutski nodded with understanding. "Permission granted, Major. Good night, and I'll see you in the morning."

Her smile widened. "Thank you sir, and you should turn in yourself. It's going to be a long day. Goodnight!" She added brightly as she waved to the bridge crew on her way out.

END OF DAY FOUR

Notes: I have to admit, I'm not completely happy with this chapter. I don't know why, I'm just not! Also, I once again freely admit that I know absolutely nothing about guns. I chose the Browning because it looked big enough to inflict some serious damage on whatever it was pointed at. Thats all. T


	14. Chapter 14

N.G.E.: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

By: Tezza1502

Rating: MA+

Disclaimer: Evangelion is owned by Hideki Anno and GAINAX. Not me. I also don't own any other copywrited works that may be mentioned in the following story. But this story is my idea, so it all balances out in the end.

Notes: Yeah, yeah, long time no post. MAJOR writers block plus wanting to do this final chapter justice led me to ignore it for weeks and play my X-box instead. Anyway, other than a bit of action at the start, it will mostly be lots of talking and wrapping certain things up. Hope you enjoy it.

DAY FIVE

**Somewhere, deep inside NERV.**

"Do we have their itinerary?"

"Yes. They are coming here for a meeting with Commander Fuyutski shortly before midday."

"Okay. Are the others ready?"

"Yeah. They're not really happy about it, though."

"Orders are orders. You know that. And unless we are contacted again, our orders are to kill the three pilots for the part they played in derailing our master's plans."

"I know. I just think it's a pity that they survived everything that was thrown at them only to be eliminated because they were _too _good at their job, is all."

"Just between us, I agree with what you're saying. But, if we fail the old man, our lives won't be worth the cost of the stamp that they'll post our remains home with."

"Them or us, huh."

"Isn't it always?"

**The Hospital.**

Misato walked down the hallway towards the room Mina was currently occupying. Reaching the door, she knocked softly.

"Come in! I'm awake." The Agents voice floated out.

"Hi Mina! Just stopped by on my way to the kid's room. How ya doin'?" She enquired brightly.

The Agent scratched at the bandage wrapped around her shoulder. "A bit wrung out, but otherwise okay."

"Excellent! Wanna come with me and say good morning?"

"Sure. You'll have to commandeer me some transport, though. I don't think the doctors want me walking around yet." She scowled at the thought of being treated like an invalid for an extended amount of time.

"Oh. Okay. Hang on, I know just the thing!" Misato ducked out of the room briefly, before returning with a wheelchair. "Hows this?"

"Not bad. " Mina eyed it warily. "Are you going to be driving? 'Cause I'm sure I heard the words 'take it slowly for a few days' and 'stay relaxed' when the doc talked to me earlier." She smirked at Misato's typical reaction to any criticism of her driving skills, which was to get all defensive and complain that it's not that she's a bad driver, it's just that everyone else on the road is a pussy!

Mina held up her good hand to stem the flow of whining. "Alright, alright! I apologise for casting any aspersions on your _excellent_ ability behind the wheel. Just go slow, okay?"

"Fine!" Misato sniffed. '_Everyone a critic!_'

Easing her carefully into the chair, they headed off at a sedate speed for the room where Shinji, Asuka and Rei spent the night.

As they passed the nurses station, Misato enquired as to whether the pilots were awake yet.

The nurse looked up from her paperwork briefly. "No ma'am."

"Fine. Well, we are going in now. Could you get the doctor on duty to come and see me as soon as he can? I would like to know if they can be discharged for a short time today."

"Yes ma'am." The nurse nodded and returned to her duties.

As the two women entered the room, the first thing they both noticed was that two of the beds were empty.

"What the-?" Misato started.

"Oh, that is so _cute_!" Mina exclaimed as she spotted where they were.

During the night, Asuka had once again followed her recent sleeping pattern and crawled into bed with Shinji. She was currently snuggled up against the boy, using his shoulder as a pillow and throwing a leg across his. At some time after she had done this, Shinji had put his arm around her.

Not to be left out, Rei had taken up position on the other side. While not as close to him on the bed as Asuka was, her forehead was touching his other shoulder, and she was holding his hand in both of hers. Misato was about to wake them loudly when she noticed their expressions. All three teens were smiling peacefully. _'Wow. I don't remember the last time I saw Shinji and Asuka so . . . **happy **in each others company. And Rei's smiling too. Hmm. Wish I had a camera. This is great teasing material!_' Grinning to herself, Misato looked at Mina.

"Well, I guess we could leave them to sleep for a little while longer." The Major shrugged.

"Yeah." She agreed readily. Mina didn't like the look of that grin she had just seen. "Coffee?"

"Sounds good. We'll bring it back here."

After a quick trip to the vending machine, they returned and settled themselves at the end of the bed and chatted quietly. Hearing voices, Shinji was the first to wake.

"(_YAWN_) Good morning Misato. Good morning Mina." He said softly. He tried to sit up, but soon realised his predicament. Seeing the expectant look on Misato's face, he began to sweat. "Ummm…it's not what you think, Misato!" He stammered as she gave him a feral grin.

"And what was I thinking, Shinji?" She teased.

"Something perverted, _I'm_ guessing." Asuka replied as she opened her eyes and yawned. "I swear, FOURTH Impact will happen before you ever manage to get your mind out of the gutter." Raising herself up, she nibbled Shinji's ear good morning. "Just ignore the dirty old woman, Shinji-kins. She'll get bored and go searching for an open bottle soon enough."

"HEY!" Misato shouted indignantly.

Rei looked at Misato thoughtfully as she too went through the motions of waking up. "I recall hearing Dr. Akagi make similar statements about the Major during the time they spent in University." She looked back to Asuka. "Seeing as we will be living together, I trust you will guide me in what type of behaviour to avoid learning from her?" She directed a raised eyebrow at the red-head, who agreed to her proposal.

"_Oi_, no fair!" Misato complained. _She _was supposed to be the one having fun at _their _expense, not the other way around. "Three against two."

"Three against one. I'm neutral! "Mina spoke up quickly.

"Say what?" Misato rounded on the Agent as Rei and Asuka smirked at each other across Shinji.

"Hey, if _you're _going to be silly enough to take pot-shots at Shinji while those two are in the same room, I'm staying well clear! I've _seen _how protective they are of him." She briefly remembered their introduction the day before.

Misato scowled and mouthed "Traitor!" at the Agent, before falling silent with a sullen pout. Mina shrugged, feeling no guilt whatsoever at her actions. Shinji breathed a sigh of relief and Asuka giggled at their successful routing of Misato's need to tease.

Later, as the three pilots and Misato were being transported to NERV for a debriefing with Commander Fuyutski, the Major stopped sulking long enough to finally notice something. "Wow! You're bruises are fading quickly." She reached across the back of the van to gently stroke his face. "I would have thought after the hiding you copped off that looter, they would have been much worse."

Rei and Asuka looked at each other nervously as Shinji scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. So?"

Her interest was piqued at his sudden defensiveness. "And you aren't limping, or having any trouble moving around, either." She continued, remembering other details. "Why? " The teens started to huddle closer together.

"Ummm . . . "He gave each girl a quick glance before deciding to tell their guardian a version of the truth. "Our theory is that it has something to do with Instrumentality." Misato's eyes widened a bit. "But we're not sure what. I would like to hear the results of yesterdays check-up before I venture a guess." He gave her a pleading look. "Be patient. Please!"

Knowing there was a great deal more that he wasn't telling her but not willing to push him for an answer yet, Misato leaned back against the side of the van. "Okay. For now."

Reaching the entrance to the NERV pyramid, they found one of the bridge tech staff from the reserve shift waiting. With him were a couple of Section-2 agents. He stepped forward and saluted crisply. "Good morning, Major. I was sent to guide you to the Commanders office. Unfortunately, we haven't managed to clear all the bakelite out of the halls yet. So we are going to be weaving all over the place to get past it. I hope everyone has their walking shoes on?" He gave the group an appologetic smile. "Follow me, please. " Without waiting for an answer, he turned and began walking.

Misato and the others fell into step, with the agents taking up position behind them. "Thank God! I thought we were going to have to rely on Misato's sense of direction to get there." Asuka commented with relief. The other pilots nodded in agreement.

As they walked, Shinji wondered what he was going to say when Misato's curiosity overcame her reluctance to press him for answers. While he wanted to explore the changes he felt within himself, he didn't want to become just a lab experiment. He was sick of living under a microscope the way he had been ever since he arrived in Tokyo-3 all those months ago. The Angel war was over. He, no _they_, have done their duty to mankind. It was time to go back to real life. The only things he wanted to trouble him now, were school and how well Rei and Asuka would adjust to not having EVA dominate their lives anymore.

He was roused from these deep thoughts by a flurry of movement ahead of him. The tech had rounded a corner that led into a bakelite-filled dead-end when he suddenly turned on Misato and punched her in the solar plexus. As she fell over gasping for breath, he deftly plucked her gun from her holster and raced past the others. As he passed the agents, they drew their guns and pointed them at the group.

Asuka and Rei moved forward to check on the Major, unaware of the hostile activity behind them for the moment. Shinji turned and faced the armed men, who had been joined by four other techs. He realised that they all were stationed in data logging and retrieval. And that they too were armed. "Let me guess. You work for the people behind my father?" He asked in a calm voice.

"Not bad, kid. You're smarter than you look." The faux guide said. Misato raised her head and gave the double agents a murderous glare.

Shinji tried to reason with them. "The old men are dead. I made sure they weren't coming back." He hung his head at the shame he still felt at taking away the councils ability to decide their own fate.

"Even if I believed you, it doesn't change anything, kid. Our orders were that if Third Impact went wrong, you three pilots had to die for failing to follow the scenario."

"You **_ASSHOLES!_**" Asuka screamed from behind Shinji. "We save the world, just so you gutless wonders can kill us!" Asuka made as if to charge them when Rei and Misato restrained her. "Let _go_ of me! I wanna go out fighting!" She fumed, trying to shake them off.

"Asuka, calm _down_!" Rei said urgently enough to break through the fog of anger surrounding Asuka. She and Misato looked at the girl, who was herself looking at Shinji with a very odd expression on her face. It was a curious blend of pride, fear and expectation.

Since she had not stopped thinking about what she had seen the day before at the maintenance shaft, Misato got what Rei was waiting for first. Asuka finally twigged seconds later. They all hunkered down behind Shinji, waiting and praying.

The assassins thought they were giving into the inevitable, and smiled. No-one likes a hard job. "It's nothing personal. It's just what we do. Sorry!" They raised their weapons to fire.

"So am I." Shinji responded quietly. He raised his head.

And the last thing SEELE's assassins saw in this life were his eyes glowing in a righteous fury.

**Battle Bridge. NERV.**

"Where are they? I was expecting the Major to show up in my office with the pilots fifteen minutes ago." Commander Fuyutski asked as he strode onto the bridge.

Lt. Aoba spoke first. "They _have _arrived, sir. Survelance cameras show them being met at the entrance."

"By who?"

"Seeing as how the bakelite has blocked off direct access to the bridge, anyone wanting to get here is sent someone who knows the ways around them. We sent one of the night shift techs with two Section-2 agents."

"Hmmm. Can we find out where they are from here?" Fuyutski asked.

Lt. Aoba thought for a moment. "We have most of the internal security cameras operating again. I'll begin sampling past images along the most likely path they would take, then backtrack via live feed once I have a starting point." He began typing quickly.

He had barely begun to look at images when an alarm sounded. Lt. Ibuki raced to her station and scanned the readings it was receiving.

"SIR! A.T. Field detected!"

"_What_! Where?" The commander demanded.

"_Here_, sir. _Inside _NERV." She typed some commands. "MAGI indicate it's similar to the field we detected yesterday."

"Locate its precise position, now!" He roared. "Aoba! Co-ordinate with Ibuki! I want a camera image as soon as she has a location. Hyuga! Alert security. If Shinji's throwing up a field, they must be in danger. I want a security team at their position, A.S.A.P.!"

"_Yes, sir_!" The bridge bunnies set to work. In short order, Lt. Ibuki yelled out a position to Lt. Aoba, who put a live feed up on the main monitor.

"Oh-my-God!" Someone muttered faintly.

The camera was in the corner of the L-shaped bend, facing down the corridor. At the far end, where the bakelite had plugged the hall, Misato, Asuka and Rei were crouched on the floor behind Shinji. The women had their hands over their ears, attempting to block the deafening noise from the gunfire hitting the translucent yellow wall that had appeared less than a meter in front of the boy's outstretched arms. Bullets were ricocheting every which way off it in the confined space. Even with the poor picture quality, all present could see the boy's body trembling at the exertion of creating an A.T. field through sheer will-power. His face was twisted in concentration at the effort. His eyes had narrowed to glowing slits.

"What the hell is he?" Someone else asked reverently, just in case he could hear them.

"_Sir_! Field intensity just spiked thirty percent!"

As Lt. Ibuki yelled, on screen Shinji's eyes glowed even brighter than before as he took a step forward and _pushed _the shield down the hallway towards the gunmen. As he finished the pushing motion, the shield left his fingertips and streaked down the hall at an incredible speed. The men simply did not have time to get out of its way before it reached them. The last image the camera sent before it too was destroyed by the oncoming wall of energy was of the men being swept toward the bend in the hall. As the picture dissolved into static, a faint vibration rolled through the facility. Silence reigned on the bridge for a moment before someone cleared their throat.

"Sir, security said they will be at that location within five minutes." Lt. Hyuga reported in a hushed tone.

"Understood." Fuyutski responded weakly. "Carry on. Have them report to my office as soon as possible." Without waiting for a reply, the old man walked off the bridge in search of a stiff drink to calm his nerves. After what had just been witnessed, everyone was more or less having the same thought.

**Later, in Commander Fuyutski's office.**

Shinji, Asuka and Rei were waiting alone on a large couch in Fuyutski's office in complete silence. After the A.T. Field had completed its journey, it had winked out of existence leaving a large bloody smear across the far end of the corridor. Every surface in front of Shinji had been damaged in some way. The walls bulged outwards from the forces brought to bear on them. The floor was gouged and chewed up. Even the roof had been pushed upwards.

Through sheer luck, one of the assassins had managed to move fast enough to escape the fate of his companions by diving around the bend in the hall just ahead of the speeding field. When the security detail had arrived, he was looking at what remained of his fellow traitors in complete horror. He was still staring as he was led away, unable to take his eyes of the gooey, pulpy mess slowly dribbling onto the floor.

When Misato stood up and saw the damage, she had hugged Shinji tightly and whispered 'thank you' softly in his ear. Helping the other teens to their feet, she had escorted them to the room they were now in and called for Mina to be brought from the hospital. After what had just happened, the Major didn't trust anyone else with the pilots lives. When she arrived, Misato explained the situation before leaving to participate in the interrogation of the surviving double agent with Commander Fuyutski.

Mina sat down facing the door and rested her gun on the arm of the chair next to her good hand. She looked at Shinji, who was draining glass after glass of orange juice with shaking hands. Asuka and Rei were both watching him. Mina was pleased to see that there was no fear in their expressions, only concern for his wellbeing.

"Hey Shinji." He looked at Mina when she spoke. "Was that another A.T. Field, like the one you made yesterday?" He nodded slowly. "_Cool_! Practice makes perfect, huh! It lasted a hell of a lot longer than the one you produced against that looter." She said lightly, trying to dispell some of the gloom threating to engulf the office. "Any chance it's something you can teach? Might save me a few trips to the E.R.." She wiggled her bandaged shoulder at him as she spoke.

She was rewarded with the smallest of smiles from him. "Maybe."

Asuka bristled at that. "_Hey_! If anyone's getting private lessons off my Shinji first, it'll be me. Got it!" She wrapped an arm around his neck possessively and pulled him towards her.

Rei hid a giggle behind her hand. "Do not fret, Asuka. I am sure that there is enough Shinji to go around for everyone." The red-head glared at her new friend as the boy rolled his eyes.

"Not helping, sis!" He sighed, going red at just what part of herself Asuka was holding his head against.

A knock at the door interrupted the banter. The Agent called out a challenge, which was answered correctly before the door opened and Misato walked into the room, followed closely by Fuyutski. Mina looked at her face closely for a moment before frowning slightly. "Major?"

"Yes?" She responded, puzzled. Mina touched her finger to her own cheek, indicating something was on the other woman's face.

"You missed a spot." She said quietly. Her eyes flicked to the teens to see if they were paying any attention to the exchange. _'Not yet. Good._'

Misato reached up and daubed at the offending liquid. Looking at it, she frowned and pulled a tissue out of her pocket and wiped the rest of the blood off her cheek before the pilots could see it. _'Damn. Thought I'd got it all. Should've guessed that double-crossing whiner would bleed inconsiderately!_' Wadding up the tissue and throwing it into a bin beside the new Commanders desk, she perched herself on the edge and waited for him to begin talking.

Seating himself, Fuyutski gathered his thoughts. He silently regarded the three pilots, taking in their changed appearances and wondering how deep those changes went.

After enduring the quiet inspection patiently for a few moments, Asuka spoke up. "Well?"

"'Well' what, Asuka?" Misato replied.

"'_Well'_, who were they? What did the one who survived tell you?" Asuka asked back in frustration.

Receiving permission from Fuyutski to explain, Misato answered. "They are . . . were double-agents for an organisation called SEELE." She was about to launch into an explanation about what SEELE was when she was interrupted.

"_SEELE_!" Asuka exclaimed, turning to her boyfriend. "Didn't you say they were all dead or something, Shinji?"

Suddenly, all eyes were on one Shinji Ikari. He scratched at a huge sweatdrop on the back of his head.

"Um . . . "

Questions started being thrown at him by all three adults in the room.

"How do you-"

"Is that what you meant-"

"What else do-"

"Could you explain just-"

"Since when-"

"When did this-"

"EVERYONE **SHUT UP!**"

Three jaws snapped shut. "Thank you. Now, if you give me a chance I will tell you how I know about SEELE, plus a few other things." Shinji said in a calmer voice. They nodded and leant in. "It began happening during Third Impact-"

And so, quietly yet concisely, Shinji proceeded to explain what he, Asuka and Rei had been up to the past few days. Every now and again the girls would put in their own comment on what he was speaking about as they showed up in the tale. Questions were asked, and clarification saught on certain points. Mina added her own viewpoint when she and Goto became part of the narrative.

Misato noticed that every once in a while, both he and Asuka's cheeks would colour slightly as he talked about certain moments. It really wasn't very obvious unless you knew them well. She decided to have a serious chat to both of them, soon. Just to be on the safe side. They had been alone together for two days and she didn't want grandkids underfoot just yet.

When the subject of the looters came up, Misato shed light on a few things. "Apparently, they had been in Tokyo-3 since the sixteenth angel. After we evacuated the city that last time, a European cartel decended and began picking over the remains, aided by a local gang. We actually got lucky with them. According to the one I talked to, over three quarters of them didn't come back from instrumentality."

Eventually, he told them of his conversation with his mother, and the later decision to deny the Council of SEELE, plus the soldiers who had attacked NERV, the ability to return like everyone else. "I wanted us to be safe when we returned, that's all. I felt that they would continue to follow the last orders they were given if they returned, like good soldiers." He gave a frustrated and helpless look to all present. "I couldn't take that chance. And if the council of SEELE returned, they would come for us. Sooner or later. I just couldn't-" He lowered his head and stared at his hands, awaiting comment. A dry voice spoke.

"Shinji? Look at me, please." He raised his face and looked at Fuyutski. "I have known of the council for a long time. I know how they think. If they had survived, they would have taken the time to make you suffer for your actions. Asuka, Rei, and anyone else you care about would have felt their wrath also. It is not an easy thing to live with, denying someone else the right to live. Believe me, I know full well the burden it places on your concience. But know this; _you made the right decision_! It was the right decision after Third Impact, and it was the right decision in that hallway earlier. In the future whenever your choice becomes too heavy for you, remember that fact." The older man allowed the weight of his own choices to show in his eyes for a moment. "I am sorry I can not offer any words other than these to comfort you. I wish I could. All I can say is that you are not alone."

Asuka got his attention. "He's right Shinji. Everyone in this room has killed before. Accidentally or otherwise. While you're score is higher than the rest of us, the feeling is still the same." She touched her head to his. "We covered all this a few days ago. And like I said then, I am not going to abandon you for it. Okay!"

Looking around the room and seeing the understanding present in everyone's eyes, he nodded. "Yeah, okay. Sorry for going on about it."

"Not a problem, kiddo. It's healthy to vent. We've all been there." Misato added sympathetically. Mina nodded in agreement while Rei gave him a brief hug.

Clearing his throat, Fuyutski brought the focus of the group back onto himself.

"As much as I wish we could take the time to help you deal with this fully right now Shinji, we have other matters of importance to discuss. Specifically, this new ability of yours, and where it came from." Pressing a button on his desk, Lt. Ibuki entered the room carrying a large sheaf of computer paper attached to a clipboard. Saying hello to everyone, she walked off to the side and waited for instructions from the Commander.

"Now, we took samples from Rei as soon as she returned. We got some from Shinji and Asuka yesterday. Last night, the MAGI processed them all, looking for anomalies. Lt. Ibuki, would you tell us what the MAGI found, please." Fuyutski gestured to the nervous woman beside his desk.

"Yes sir. As well as the three pilots, we sampled Misato plus other returnees at random as a control group. What we found was shocking, to say the least. Enough so that we started taking samples from everyone we could get our hands on." Swallowing, she continued. "As far as we can tell, everyone we have tested so far has had their DNA altered by some small degree. And by altered, I mean that what we know as Angelic elements are present." The stunned silence lasted only a second.

"Say WHAT!!!" Misato got in first by a nose. Everyone began throwing questions at her.

"Quiet please, let her speak!" Fuyutski demanded. When the group settled down, he gestured for the young Lieutenant to continue.

"Okay. Now, the degree of change is no greater than 0.4 percent in almost all cases. I know it doesn't sound like much, but remember, the difference between the human genome and that of our nearest primate relative is only about 1.23 percent. What this means for humanity in the future is uncertain." Clearing her throat, she resumed speaking. "However, we have found four cases that are significantly higher." She stopped, unable to work up the nerve to keep going.

Asuka rolled her eyes at the lieutenants inability to carry on. "Well, obviously Shinji and Rei would be two of them. Right?" Ibuki nodded reluctantly. "Well, who are the others then!"

Raising the clipboard like a shield, she closed her eyes and spoke. "Yourself and the Major."

Silence greeted that.

"Say again!" Asuka found her voice first.

"You wanna explain that?" Misato demanded.

Maya squirmed. "Um, according to the MAGI, it seems that the combination of being in such close proximity to Third Impact combined with the fact that you both um . . . "She stopped, unable to say what happened next. Both women understood what she was driving at.

"Got blown into steaming, meaty chunks by an RPG?" Misato offered quietly.

"Got torn to shreds and snacked upon by several EVA's?" Asuka added with downcast eyes.

Maya cringed at their factual descriptions of how they both met their end on that day. "Um, yeah." Shinji wrapped his arms around Asuka and began stroking her hair comfortingly, while Rei surprised everyone by going over to the Major and doing the same for her. "You looked like you needed it, and Shinji was busy comforting Asuka." Was her soft reply to the question she saw on Misato's face. Giving the older woman a shy smile as she released her, Rei took her seat again. While Misato discretely wiped a tear from her eye, Mina asked what the percentage of change was for the four of them.

"Oh, um, Misato has a 1.2 percent variance from our records. Asuka's is around 1.8."

"And us?" Shinji asked nervously, looking over at Rei.

"Both you and Rei are now 3.2 percent Angel, Shinji."

"Oh!" Was all that was said while everyone thought about the implications of this new data.

"Well, that explains the A.T. Field plus your ability to heal at an accelerated rate." Asuka said quietly as she squeezed her boyfriends hand. "Can you do the same things, Rei?" She inquired of her fellow pilot. Rei shrugged slightly.

"Most likely." She sighed deeply. "I imagine we will have to find a way to test these new abilities in safety, as well as discovering if any other abilities are to be found. And to see if the Major and yourself can manifest any of these traits as well." Both Rei and Shinji looked reluctant. Memories of long hours in Dr. Akagi's clutches were running through both pilot's minds.

"No need to concern ourselves with that just yet, I think. We still have to broker a deal with our own government concerning our official status now that the Angels are gone." Fuyutski interjected. "And I can assure you all that these new abilities of yours will remain classified. While word will eventually get around about what happened in that hallway, no-one outside this room will be told of your unique genetic nature." He nodded at Lt. Ibuki. "Maya, I am increasing your rank and security clearance to the level of Dr. Akagi's. Your first job will be to bury those reports deep within the MAGI." She gulped and bobbed her head. Excitement at her sudden promotion was dampened by thoughts of what such an occurrence usually does to a person in this organisation. Fuyutski continued speaking. "For the next few months we will be much too busy finding a new direction for NERV. I'm guessing it will be close to a year before we are in any shape to even consider pursuing these new developments." At his words, they all began to consider the future for a moment. Wondering how it would all turn out.

A hearty laugh broke the silence.

"Heh. I almost wish the old men of SEELE were here. I'd love to see the expressions on their faces when they found out what happened to their '_Grand Designs_'." Shinji chuckled to himself.

"Why do you say that, Shinji?" Fuyutski enquired.

"Can you imagine the hair pulling and teeth gnashing once they returned and discovered that their plans to instigate Instrumentality had succeeded! Only to find it didn't go as they had planned! Wherever they were based around the world, you would have heard the screams of rage from inside this office!" He began chortling again at the thought. Once more, Shinji had efficiently gotten the entire room's attention.

"Care to let everyone else in on the joke, kiddo." Misato asked.

"What? Oh, uh, well, answer me this first: what was the purpose of Instrumentality?" Shinji leant back on the couch and waited for an answer.

"To remove the barriers around all souls so as to merge all into one." Rei stated.

"To control humanity." Asuka offered.

"To cheat death and live forever." Misato said.

Shinji smiled. "All those answers are correct, but they are just byproducts of the true intent. Third Impact was all about leapfrogging mankind up the evolutionary ladder into a collective state of Godhood. A shortcut towards our eventual racial destiny, if you will. What I'm finding horribly ironic about all this is that at the end of the day, SEELE succeeded in its goal, but it was a baby step. For all their plans and scheming and killing, humanity skipped maybe a few thousand years of natural development. And all because the people they choose as mediums for this event were happier as we are now." He smiled at Rei briefly. "Really, you either have to laugh about it or go insane thinking about the terrible cost of their selfish greed. They wanted it to happen _now_, in their lifetimes, so they would be around to enjoy it as well."

"How do _you _know all this, Shinji?" Maya asked in a frightened tone. "We've been digging inside the MAGI's data banks around the clock the last few days, and we are only just getting a vague outline of what _you _have been saying off the top of your head. How do you _know_?"

Asuka answered with a snort. "Apparently, because the baka was ground zero for all this. How did you describe it to me? _'Rei and I were the gate through which everyone's soul passed.'_ And while they were passing through, he picked up whatever bits and pieces of information caught his fancy and stored them in his subconscious."

"Is this true?" Fuyutski asked incredulously.

"Sort of." Shinji nodded sadly. "Remember, at the time we were all as one, no barriers between any of us. While I can't speak for Rei, I have somehow retained access to certain memories from time to time. But, like I told Asuka, they are buried deep in the back of my brain. I do not have the ability to go through them whenever I want to, like a memory. It's just . . . if I get talking about a subject, like before, the data is there or me to use. I have no conscious control over it. I couldn't even tell you which person it came from originally!" He finished earnestly.

"What about you, Rei? Is it the same for you?" Fuyutski asked. Everyone turned to her.

Rei squirmed at being the centre of attention. "Sort of. I am assuming that at the heart of my brother's desire for knowledge was an explanation for his suffering at the hands of others. A reason for his pain." Shinji nodded at her words while Asuka's eyes widened at this new perspective of his actions. "Due to my particular role in those events, I knew most of what he spoke of. The rest I picked up as he did, during Third Impact. Until I realised I too had the choice to either come back here or go on, I had no desire for information about anything else. By then, it was too late. However, I do find myself now with a complete recollection of _all _my past experiences." Maya and Mina looked puzzled at her choice of words. Misato and Asuka were somewhat more aware of Rei's past, so they nodded in vague understanding. Shinji and Fuyutski knew she was talking about the fact that she had died and been reborn twice. Shinji squeezed her hand and mouthed "_I am happy that you are now truly complete_", while the older man worked hard to keep the shock from showing on his face.

"Lt. Ibuki." Shinji dragged her attention away from Rei. "Did your tests confirm that Rei and I are now twins?"

"What? Oh, uh-" She referred to her clipboard. "Yes, they did."

"Baka! Wasn't it obivious?" Asuka snorted.

Shinji grinned sheepishly. "Just making sure. That's all."

"And to that end, I wish to be officially known as Rei Ikari, to reflect that fact." She announced, looking at Fuyutski.

"But, wasn't that . . . _'his' _family name?" Misato was confused.

"No, actually. When they married, Gendo took Yui's name." The old man stated mildly.

"Oh!" The Major thought for a moment about that. "Well, it shouldn't be too hard to alter and backdate NERV's official records to show that Rei's name was changed when they were _separated at birth_. Should it?" She looked pointedly around the room as she spoke. "After all, we wouldn't want some government arsehole to come along and split them up again after so long apart, just on the strength of a horrible decision made ages ago. It wouldn't be fair at all?" She spoke slowly to ensure everyone understood what she was getting at.

"_Yes _. . . " The Commander drawled as everyone nodded to show their understanding and agreement at the Major's idea. As Shinji and Rei jumped up to tackle her with another hug, Asuka groaned. "_'Twins separated at birth?!' _ You've been watching 'Star Wars' again, haven't you, Misato!"

Commander Fuyutski cleared his throat loudly. "If I could have everyones attention, please, I have a tele-conference with the U.N. and the Japanese government shortly." They all settled into their seats again. "Thank you. Now, for the moment I think you three should live inside H.Q. until we get the question of NERV's official status settled. There are several guest suites available so finding something to your individual tastes should not be a problem."

Asuka interrupted. "How can we be safe here? What about if more double-agents come crawling out of the woodwork and have another go at us, huh?" She demanded angrily.

Misato reassured her. "Don't worry, Asuka. According to the one who survived, there are no more spies inside this facility. The ones that attacked us were the only ones who returned."

"And just _how _do you know _he _wasn't lying to you?" She demanded.

"I was very _persuasive _in my questioning." The Major's eyes hardened to such a degree with that statement that Asuka gulped involuntarily.

Shinji put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. "Asuka, let it go. If Misato says there are no more, I believe her." Asuka mumbled, _"Fine." _and fell quiet. Shinji turned to Fuyutski and asked if the rooms were next to each other.

"I believe so. The quartermaster will know for sure."

"Wanna stay close to your new squeeze, huh?" Misato teased, her voice light again. "Just remember to keep it decent around here. You're not out in the wilderness any more." Her words had the desired effect.

"_Misato_! It wasn't like that!" Shinji spluttered.

"Just what are you trying to imply, you dirty old drunk! " Asuka started going red at the older womans innuendo.

"Yes, I am curious as well." Rei asked. "Other than sleeping together, Shinji and Asuka did not engage in any indecent behaviour."

All the adults looked at her first in shock, before turning their attention to the other two pilots. "WTF?!?!"

'_I'm in hell! Instrumentality happened for real and I'm in hell!' _Shinji moaned as he put his head in his hands while Asuka quickly approached boiling point. "Reiiiiii . . . "

"What is wrong? You and my brother fell asleep on the same bed. Is that not accurate?" She said innocently, looking at the adults with curiosity as they all let out a relieved breath.

"So you mean they didn't-" Maya asked, then quickly covered her mouth with her hands. She hadn't meant to say that aloud.

The glares she got from Shinji and Asuka were enough of an answer. "All grown-ups are perverts!" The red-head growled. "As for you, Wondergirl-" She scowled at Rei. "I am _so _going to kick your ass for that!"

"She was joking?" Misato exclaimed with disbelief. Fuyutski was also stunned at this new behaviour from the previously stoic girl. Rei giggled at the expressions on their faces when she nodded affirmative.

"_Of course _she was!" Asuka rolled her eyes. "Not _everyone _treats sex as an Olympic sport, y'know. Besides, we've only just started going out." She intertwined her fingers with Shinji's.

"You two are in a relationship?" Fuyutski shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Having lived under the guidance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for so long, the commander was not used to so many unexpected shocks hitting him at same time.

"What! Really?" Maya echoed. '_Damn, I owe the Major 10,000 yen_!' She thought as they both nodded. Asuka wondered if she was going to become that dense when she grew up. It isn't as if they have been hiding the fact.

"Sir?" Shinji spoke up, getting Fuyutski's attention. "I assume that part of your discussion with the government will include what to do with us." He gestured to indicate himself, Asuka and Rei.

"Yes. As the pilots of what used to be the most advanced examples of human technology, as well as being responsible for saving the world, rest assured you will come up in conversation at some point." He replied dryly.

Shinji looked uncomfortable at being so described, but continued. "Well sir, I realise that certain conditions will be demanded of you conserning us, so I would like to ask if you would be willing to talk with us about them before agreeing to anything?"

"Of course." Fuyutski had planned to do that anyway, nonetheless he was impressed that Shinji was thinking that far ahead.

"Also, could you make it clear that we three will be staying together. And that we will not tolerate being separated for any reason. Also, Misato is to stay our guardian and immediate superior officer." Despite the soft tone, the adults were stunned to realise that Shinji had given them an order, not made a request. Looking at the other pilots, Fuyutski realised that while they were as surprised at the Third Child's declaration as the adults were, they had not disagreed with what he had said.

"I assure you, Shinji, every effort will be made to keep you all together. But if Germany's government decides they want Asuka sent home, or the U.N. insist on separating you for security reasons, you may have to accept that. When word gets out about the part you three played in Instrumentality, and it _will _get out eventually, those in power are going to be scared that you will become a rallying point for change. _Everyone_, from anti-establishment nuts to dictators, is going to want you on their side. To use you for their own agenda. Even the U.N. and our own government will seek to turn you into the poster children for their own purposes." He sighed at the thought of the stresses these children were going to be subjected to.

Shinji absorbed this silently. He then very deliberately leant forward and put his elbows on his knees while lacing his fingers in front of his face. Resting his chin on his interlocked fingers, he stared at Fuyutski. "I understand all that, Commander." Everyone shivered at the sound of his voice. It had dropped a few octaves. "But I say again; We. Three. Stay. Together. Misato stays with us. Everything else is negotiable." The fact that he sounded and looked like his late father was creepy enough on it's own. What really freaked them all out was that his eyes flashed in synch with his words.

"Understood." Fuyutski's brain had to fight his vocal chords not to add the word _'Sir' _to that answer.

"Good." He stared at the commander for a heartbeat longer before breaking the illusion with a smile as he returned to his normal voice. "Are we done here? 'Cause I'm hungry. It was a busy morning, and hospital food sucks!" When the older man nodded weakly, Shinji nudged his fellow pilots with his shoulder and pulled them to their feet. "Maya, do we need a guide to the commissary? Mina, you want to join us?" He walked out of the office dragging the other two behind him in a daze. The older women waited until they were dismissed by the commander before following the trio. Asuka finally found her voice outside the doorway.

"Shinji, that may be the creepiest damned thing I have ever seen you do. Which is saying a lot! _Please, _don't do it again. _Ever_!" She pleaded. Shinji responded with an evil chuckle.

Misato waited until the door swung closed before letting out a breath. "I love that kid like a son, but every now and again he pulls something out of his hat that scares me shitless."

"Indeed. That was a very accurate impression of his father." He let out a short laugh. "And very deliberate too. He _has _changed."

"Not too much, I hope. He can do without channelling his father like that." The Major chewed her bottom lip nervously.

"Don't be too worried. He gets it from both sides." Misato was curious, and said so. "Shinji's mother was every bit as devious and strong-willed as Gendo. She was just nicer about it. _Heh_. She could wrap anyone she met around her little finger if she wanted to. You would have gotten along well with her, Misato."

Misato flushed a little at the compliment. "That's kind of you to say sir. I wish I could have met her."

"In a way, you did."

"What? Oh. Right. Instrumentality." She grimaced. "Unfortunately, it's all still a bit vague. Like . . . there's way too much information to remember clearly. So my brain dumped it all to keep from being overwhelmed. Does that make any sense?"

"Actually, yes." Fuyutski said. "I'm feeing the same way." Shaking himself out of his reminiscence, he returned to business mode. "Major, I would like you to sit in on this meeting with me. Seeing that Shinji has made his position clear on who he wants in charge of the pilots' wellbeing, you should be there." She nodded. "Also, sooner or later, the powers-that-be are going to want a scapegoat to take the fall for all this. Seeing as Gendo is dead, as well as the council if what Shinji says turns out to be true, that role will inevitably fall to me." Misato blanched at his description of future events, but knew that what he was saying was probably accurate. "When that happens, you will end up in charge until they place someone else in the position. So it would be best if you knew what was going on from the start, instead of me having to fill you in at some later time."

"Very well sir." She said unenthusiastically. Watching him with a glum expression as he gathered some paperwork together, she followed him out of his office towards the teleconference room.

THE END

--------------------------------

Notes: Damn, that was hard!

Well there it is, my first completed multi-part fanfic. A year of writing. Eight months of posting. A LOT of writers block and skull sweat. But worth it in the end. The learning curve on this was rather sharp but very rewarding. Enough so that I have about six pages of notes toward a sequel lying around somewhere. Yeah, I'm most likely gonna come back to this after a rest. (Thinking about the one story for a year is WAY too long for my attention span!) I have other ideas on the stove, plus an arsebaby to deliver, so it may be a while before my interest swings back to this. (Just put me on Author Alert and forget about me.) And for those who may feel the ending for this was a bit abrupt, I have a postscript/epilogue to upload yet. Set a few months later, it's about the reactions of the pilots friends to the changes our protagonists have been through. I was originally going to post it as a one-shot, but mine always seem to sink without a trace. So, I'm attaching it to this one. It's a little bit silly, a little bit funny, and there will be singing involved. It's half-written already so it should be posted shortly. (Ignore that last. I keep saying it, but I keep lying!)

Anyway, big thank-you to _everyone _who took the time to review this story, (**_THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!_**) you kept me writing when I wasn't sure I was capable of doing this, especially at the start. And sloppy kisses to the authors whose work inspired me to give this writing thing a shot. (Too many to count. My favourites list contains only some of them.) Most of all, thank you to my soulmate for her advice, BETAing, and her ability to change my mind peacefully about certain plot turns. She's a large part of why this turned out so well.

'Till next time! T


	15. Chapter 15

_**EARLIER . . . **_

_Five people enter a cosy office. The eldest of them, a man, seats himself behind a large desk. The others, three teenagers and a woman, arrange themselves on a couch facing the desk. They face the older man, waiting. Gathering his thoughts, he clears his throat and begins to speak._

"_As you are all aware, the Major and I have been in dialogue with the U.N. and the Japanese Government for the past few weeks." The three teens nod. "I believe we have reached a point where I am satisfied that we can allow ourselves to surrender to them without fear of retribution." He held his hands up for quiet as they all shout their disbelief at him. "Please, hear me out!" The raised voices subside, although the red-headed teen still grumbles under her breath for a few more minutes. "Thank you. Now, after all that has happened, I am sure that you can understand our government's natural desire for an explanation of the events surrounding and leading up to Third Impact." Reluctant nods from the couch. "Good. The U.N. has commissioned a closed-door investigation. In practical terms, this means that all of the upper echelons of NERV still alive will have to make themselves available for questioning on any aspect pertaining to what happened that day, as well as events leading up to it. To facilitate this, we are going to be re-located to a secure area inside Tokyo-2 for the duration. Seeing as the Major will be involved, you three will be going as well, because technically she still has guardianship of the pilots. In this way the stipulation made by Shinji is fulfilled. And before you ask, we are not just rolling over for the U.N. by doing this." Asuka scowls but remains silent. "Section-2 will have primary authority over the U.N. concerning our security while this investigation proceeds. The GeoFront remains under NERV's direct control, with only a small team of outside investigators allowed supervised access to our records. All military forces will not be allowed to set foot inside the Tokyo-3 city limits unless invited in writing by myself or the Major. Most important of all, the EVA pilots will not have to front the investigating committee if they do not wish to, and certainly not without the Major being present. This is an important concession on their part, one they will regret granting as the larger picture becomes clearer to them." The pilots sigh with relief as understanding blooms. "Shinji. Rei. Asuka. If you wish to allow yourselves to be interviewed, I will not stop you. But it is my firm belief that in the best interests of humanity's future you should not speak of what happened that day. Enough manipulation of mankind's destiny has been perpetrated. I do not want them to gain any clues that they may use to try again at a later date. No more! For next time, we may not survive." More nodding. "Also, your identities are being concealed from the public." Asuka pouts, a part of her wanting the attention that would come from being known as a saviour of humanity. "Not surprisingly, considering the iconography involved with Instrumentality, the nut cases are starting to emerge from the woodwork and demanding that you pilots either be raised to the status of Saints or burnt at the stake for heresy!" He smiled at the wide variety of expressions that play across the pilots faces after that last sentence. "So, you will unfortunately have to be confined to the unit set aside for you for the duration of the investigation." More shouted disbelief, this time approaching the threshold of pain. "It can not be helped! Either get used to the idea of spending the next few months together, or be prepared to be split up!" Silence, followed by subdued acceptance. "Thank you. Now, I am sure that you all realise that this is not everything we talked about with the U.N., just the pieces that more or less directly involve you. And while the three of you will not be allowed to move about, approved others will be permitted to visit you. Also, Misato will be living with you in the same unit." Asuka grumbles something almost inaudible about Misato's personal habits. Misato responds with a threat involving a shock collar keyed for Asuka's proximity to Shinji. As Asuka turns to reply to Misato's suggestion physically, Fuyutski interrupts loudly. "To summarise: We, along with other senior NERV staff, will be travelling to Tokyo-2 within the next few days to participate in an investigation to decide whether NERV should be held accountable for Third Impact. As long as you three mind your words, you will come through this portrayed as nothing more than innocent victims of a massive conspiracy outside your control. Which is the truth for just about everyone at NERV." Subdued agreement from the pilots. "Okay. Go pack what you wish to take, and after this is all finished, we will see about trying to make a normal life for you, away from EVA. Dismissed." Hopeful smiles break out from all those seated on the couch as they stand to leave. _

* * *

N.G.E.: THESE SCARS WE BEAR

By: Tezza1502

Rating: MA+ (mostly undeserved for this chapter, but I thought I'd better be consistent)

Disclaimer: I own don't N.G.E., Hideaki Anno and GAINAX do. Nor do I own any shows produced by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. (Grrr, Argh!) The only thing I get out of doing this is an emotional buzz. _oooOOOooo_, a good review, now I feel all tingly.

Notes: Hey there. A bit nervous about posting this. When I first wrote most of it, over six months ago, I felt the need for a chapter which showed our heroes getting back into the swing of a relatively normal life at the end of the story. No major threats jumping out of thin air or the like, just a 'slice-of-life' moment amongst friends. So, it's just going to be dialogue (Hopefully witty, or at the very least engaging). I guess it's more of a post-script or a bridging chapter than an epilogue. And there will be moments of OOCness, especially the song. If you have not seen the musical episode from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Season Six', just skip that part of the fic. I gave Rei a line in it that was both the original inspiration for me to put the whole thing in there and also to alter the song to fit their situation. Again, apologies to Mr. Whedon for mutilating his fine work to fit my story. Here we go!

* * *

**A FEW MONTHS LATER**

The large, black limo glided into the secure reception facilities and eased to a halt next to the well-dressed woman waiting there for them. A doorman-guard came forward and opened the rear door, allowing three very nervous teenagers to escape the dark, velvety clutches of the back seat.

"Hi, guys! They didn't scare you to much when they picked you up, did they?" Misato asked cheerfully as three faces rounded on her.

"Oh, hello Major Katsuragi. A little bit. They didn't explain where we were being taken, just that we were going to see some old school friends." Hikari Hokari said in a frazzled tone as Touji Suzahara and Kensuke Aida bowed to hide the drool on their chins at the sight of her.

"Hello (_sigh_) Major. It's wonderful to see you again." They said in unison.

"It's good to see the three of you again as well. And I'm sorry about the cloak-and-dagger routine but, unfortunately, it's necessary." For a moment, the stress she was under shone through. Then, with a toss of her hair, it was gone. Like a mirage.

"Come on. Let's get you through the security checks and upstairs. Surprises await!" With that, she turned and led them inside.

Kensuke looked at the forbidding doorway and gulped. "I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

"Man, I didn't think you could even fit fingers in some of those places?!" Touji readjusted his clothes and complained as they ascended up the lift. Misato and Hikari giggled at his discomfort as Kensuke admonished him.

"Well, I guess you shouldn't have tried to pick a fight with professional security guards."

"Some help you were back there, mister military otaku guy." Touji glared at his traitorous friend.

"Hey, don't blame me 'cause I'm smart enough to know when I'm outclassed and you don't." He retorted.

As they continued to snipe at each other, Misato and Hikari ignored them and chatted briefly about how Pen-Pen was coping away from his original family (Quite well, although he missed his nightly Yebisu with dinner.), before the young teen asked how the pilots have been holding up after all that's happened.

"Well, okay, I guess. Being stuck in a unit together all the time and not being allowed out is starting to get really old for them. I mean, they understand the reasons behind it, but. . . "

"But what?"

". . . they're getting bored."

The teen let out a breath. "Is that all! I thought it was something serious."

To her amazement, Misato whimpered. "You have NO idea."

The rest of the ride was done in a confused silence.

* * *

Reaching their intended floor, they left the elevator and headed towards a plain door at the end of the hall. Smiling at the guard as she approached the door, Misato asked how the pilots were behaving today.

"Oh, not bad for a Tuesday." Agent Mina Kusimoto responded dryly. "Glad _you're _going in there. They've been almost _too _quiet."

'_Uh-Oh!_' Misato blanched slightly. Quiet is never a good thing, especially where those three are concerned. Fighting the strong urge to enter the unit with gun drawn, she gave an uneasy looking Hikari a reassuring grin and proceeded to unlock the door with her key card. Taking a deep breath and hoping they weren't laying in ambush for her, Misato opened the door with a flourish, "Taa-daah!"

Looking inside, they saw. . .

_"OH-MY-GOD! **SHINJI**! WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU?!" _The two boys cried as they rushed in and stopped at arms length from the confused-looking person in the hallway. _"THEY'VE TURNED YOU INTO A GIRL!"_

"I am not-" she started, only to be drowned out by the screeching teens.

"This is worse than the time you were dressed in the She-Devil's plug-suit." Touji wailed.

"How did this happen?" Kensuke demanded angrily as they began throwing questions at her in tandem.

"I'll bet she had something to do with this."

"Can they reverse it?"

"It's her revenge against you for being the better pilot."

"Maybe surgery will help?"

"Don't worry. We'll get her back for you. Somehow. This will not go unpunished."

"What does NERV say? Can they do anything?"

"THERE WILL BE CONSIQUENCES!!!"

". . . um, guys?" Misato interrupted timidly.

"There will be a. . . "Touji stopped.

"Yes, Misato?" They intoned together.

"That's not Shinji."

". . . huh?"

"That's Rei."

All three visitors digested this new fact.

". . . huh?"

Rei chose that moment to get a word in, finally. "Indeed, it is true. While the exact details of my transformation are still classified, this is how I returned from my experience with instrumentality."

". . . huh?"

"Takes a bit of getting used to, doesn't it? My reaction was about the same." Misato said, waving her hand in front of their eyes. Hikari finally gathered enough of her wits together to ask the next obvious question.

"So. . . why does she look like Shinji?"

Misato looked apologetic. "That's classified. All we can say is that genetically, she and Shinji are now. . . twins."

"How did Shinji react?" Enquired Aida diffidently.

What Rei did next stunned them all. She smiled.

No. She **_SMILED!_**

"Says it all, really." Hikari finally mumbled, recovering. The boys were flat out deciding whether to go blind or just fall in love on the spot.

"Come on in and say hello to the other two. They've been waiting to see you for ages." Misato encouraged, shutting the door.

Finally peeling their eyes away from Rei, they started going deeper into the unit. As his brain re-set itself, Aida asked how the other two pilots had been getting along.

"Yeah. Has the She-Devil killed him yet?" Touji threw in.

Misato snorted. "Not for lack of trying."

Rei just looked disgruntled. "And he's encouraging her! The pervert."

Hikari looked from one to the other in confusion. "What the heck are you two talking about?" The regard in which those particular pilots held each other with was legendary in classroom 2-A.

"You'll see." The older woman wore a mischievous grin.

The class rep had a sudden flash of foreboding. "All of a sudden, I don't want to go in the next room." She whispered weakly as they all walked in.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH"

"Come on, you guys! My ears are starting to hurt with all this screaming!"

* * *

Asuka and Shinji were sitting on the sofa. Or, more accurately, Shinji was sitting on the sofa. Asuka was sitting on Shinji, kneading her hands up and down his chest under his shirt while kissing him slowly and deeply. He was running his fingertips along her spine, occasionally stopping to plunge them into her hair. They looked like they were both enjoying themselves thoroughly, with no intention of ever stopping.

"Huh. . . Whuh. . . Buh. . .?" Touji gibbered, incapable of coherent speech. Aida just pointed and twitched. Hikari moved her lips, trying to force enough air through them.

"It's been going on since Third Impact. Nauseating, isn't it." Rei answered her unasked question.

"Well I, for one, think it's sweet that they resolved their differences so well." Misato chipped in cheerfully.

_"'Resolved their differences!'"_ Rei repeated in disbelief. "You had to threaten to tie them to their respective beds and put locks on the doors just to get them to promise to keep it in their SEPERATE pants!" Rei smiling was a sight to treasure. Rei pissed-off was pants-moistening. She even had the Ikari family glare going for her.

Touji found his voice. "OH dear lord, how do we save him from her evil clutches?"

"We will need crucifixes and holy water. It may not be too late." Aida was back in the game, ready to rise to this new challenge.

"Do we know any priests?"

Aida thought for a moment. "We passed a Shinto shrine on the way here. They may have someone we can use!"

Rei had run out of patience. "Okay, lovebirds. Break it up. We have guests."

The embrace ended, slowly and reluctantly. "Oh, hi guys. How've you been?" Asuka said sweetly over her shoulder.

"She's talking!" Touji panicked. "What do we do?"

"Block your ears! Think happy thoughts! Do not be tempted by her sirens call!"

"Oh, knock it off, you two stooges." Hikari and Asuka spoke at the same time.

"Oh crap, she's looking at us! What do we do?"

"I dunno! Try chanting!"

"It's never worked before. What difference will it make now?"

"It may distract her momentarily, giving us the chance to rescue our friend from the Devil-Girl!"

As Shinji gave her a look that pleaded, 'They're my friends, go easy', Asuka got up and started over.

"She's coming for us! What now?"

"_Warding spells_, man! Warding spells! It's too late for Shinji, all we can do is try to save ourselves!"

Walking in between and past the chanting, gesturing boys, she went to Hikari and gave her a warm hug. "It's so good to see you again, Hikari. We have so much to catch up on."

Finally shaking off the lingering effects of Asuka's kisses, Shinji noticed something that should have been obvious as soon as Touji came into the room: "Hey! You're walking!"

The jock looked chuffed. "Yeah, man. Came back in one piece. Dunno how, but when I woke up, my arm and leg were back where they should be!"

"That's amazing!" he said, stunned and more than a bit relieved. After all, he still considered himself responsible for Touji's injuries. As the other pilots moved in closer to have sticky-beak at his friend's miraculously regenerated limbs, Shinji tried to puzzle out an explanation.

"Hmmm. . . "

"What!?" Asked Misato.

"Just thinking about why Touji came back, well, whole."

"And?"

"I've got a theory-"

Asuka turned at that statement and gave Rei a nudge. "Did you hear that? He's got a theory, Rei!"

_"Really!" _She answered, taking a deep breath.

"Ahh, crap. Here we go again." Shinji sighed as Rei burst into song.

* * *

"I've got a theory, it could be EVA.

_'It could be EVA'_, no, something isn't right there."

(_Asuka takes up the tune_)

"I've got a theory, it could be Shinji,

and we're all stuck inside his wacky 3.I. nightmare."

(_Chorus, everyone_!)

"I've got a theory we should work it out.

It's getting weird here,

locked inside here,

thrashing all about."

(_Asuka again_)

"I've got a theory, it could be Angels, some evil Angels.

But, unfortunately, we killed them all, that plots done and gone, Gods in his heaven, all's right with the world,

and I'll be over here."

(_Yup, Rei's turn_)

"I've got a theory, it could be SEELE. . ."

(_Crickets chirp in the background. A tumbleweed rolls past. Rei looks sheepish_)

(_Asuka picks it up_)

"I've got a-"

"SEELE, YES SEELE, IS BEHIND IT, LIKE ALWAYS.

SCHEMEING AND PLOTTING,

AND MAKING US PILOT.

AND WHATS WITH THOSE BLACK MONOLITHS,

WHY DO THEY NEED TO HIDE FROM EACH OTHER, ANYWAY!

SEELE, SEELE, IT MUST BE _SEELEEEEEEE!!!!!!_

(_Everyone is just staring at Rei, eyes wide and jaws on the floor_)

She shrugs. "Or maybe Pen-Pen?"

(_Misato and Rei_)

"It's not a theory, it's getting boring fast.

There's nothing to do,

but watch Asuka and Shinji make out."

(_Shinji interrupts_)

"I've got a theory,

it doesn't matter.

There's things we do when we're together.

It's no one's business,

we've earned the right, yeah!

Third Impact,

we've all been there.

We turned to goo,

then we came back here."

(_The Pilots_)

"Why can't we leave this room, together?

We'll take our chances with what's out there.

We have to try,

reclaim our lives.

It's do or die."

(_Rei_)

"Hey, I've died twice!"

(_Pilots_)

"Why can't we leave if we're together?"

(_Misato_) "_Like hell_-"

(_Pilots_)

"Why can't we just go out for a burger?"

(_Misato_) "-_you're going out there_!"

(_Pilots_)

"There's nothing left to fear-"

(_Rei_)

"Except for SEELE."

* * *

The other three teens in the room give a round of applause.

"Knock it off, guys." Shinji says in a tired voice.

Rei brings the pout. "Aawww."

Asuka also comes to the pout party. "Meanie."

Hikari looks at Shinji with a confused expression. "Why'd you make 'em stop? That was really good."

Shinji gives her a baleful stare. "Yeah, well, you weren't here the last time they got carried away after watching too much 'Buffy'. I had to talk Rei down off a sugar high because SHE-" Pointing at his girlfriend who was trying very hard to look innocent, "fed her too many chocolate-coated marshmallows. Sis kept thinking she was 'Spike', and chasing Asuka around the room yelling, "I'm going to _do _you, slayer," at the top of her lungs!"

Hikari was confused. "What's so bad about that? Asuka can defend herself, can't she?"

"Yes, but she was acting like season six 'Spike', not season two 'Spike'."

"Ooohhhhh." Touji and Kensuke start dribbling over thoughts of Rei and Asuka in various compromising positions with each other before receiving a clip over the ear from Hikari.

"And we still can't work out where she got that black leather trenchcoat from?"

Everyone looks at Rei as she gives one of her patented mysterious smiles.

Walking over and grabbing the two boys by the collars, Shinji turned and dragged them towards his room. As he threw them through the doorway he said over his shoulder. "Nice seeing you, Hikari. We'll catch up later. After being cooped up with just females for company for the last few months, I need some guy-talk time. No offence." He winked as he shut the door.

The four girls looked at each other. "What was that about?" Misato asked.

Rei answered the question. "Don't worry, he was just getting those two twits out of the room before they opened their big mouths and wedged both feet in there."

Asuka appeared surprised and grateful. Hikari was confused. "Why?"

Misato and Rei looked smugly at Asuka. "Told you your real friends wouldn't notice them."

"Notice what?"

"My scars." The red head supplied.

The class rep turned and really looked at her friend. "Oh."

"Yeah, that's pretty much everyone's reaction, so far."

"So, how. . . why. . . I mean. . . ?" Hikari started, a bit uncertain as to how to broach the subject.

"Oh, go on, just ask her about them." Rei threw in. "And don't worry; Shinji's the only one she bites these days." She turned and gave Asuka a lecherous smirk.

Asuka went bright pink at that. "HEY! It was just the once. We got a bit carried away. That's all." She stammered unconvincingly. Misato's eyebrows shot up.

"He told me that mark was from scratching a mosquito bite."

* * *

The two male non-pilots in Shinji's room didn't have any such self-preservation issues;

"Oh, yeah. Why didn't she come back in one piece, like everyone else?" Aida said tactlessly.

"Probably the devil, marking his own so everyone would know." Touji added, keeping the lack of tact flowing.

Shinji stared at the other two boys with an intensity unmatched by previous generations of Ikari's. "If you two ever say anything unkind about Asuka's scars, to her face or to me, ever again, our friendship is over. Do I make myself clear?"

Looking them both in the eye until they understood he was completely serious, he waited for them to find their voices.

Touji recovered first. "Hey man, we were just joking around. Nothing meant by it."

"Yeah. Same as in school, y'know." Aida added. "We make jokes at her expense, she abuses us verbally and physically, life goes on."

"Right." Touji nodded in agreement. "Same as always. Nothing changes."

Shinji's expression softened. "Well, things have changed, especially for us three pilots. And Asuka is still very vulnerable when it comes to those scars. So play nice."

The other two boys relaxed somewhat as the storm clouds cleared from the room. "Jeez, man. You had us worried there for a moment. I thought you were-"

"Going to chose her over you?" he cocked an eyebrow.

Touji shrugged uncomfortably. "Well, yeah."

Looking from one friend to another, shinji picked his next words carefully. "That is a situation I would very much like to avoid, because Asuka, along with Rei, are the most important people in my life."

Even Touji picked up on the subtle threat in that sentence.

"So please, try to get along with her. You two are still the best friends I've got. And I'd hate to lose you over such a small, stupid thing. Okay?" He pleaded.

Touji and Aida looked at each other and gave a slight nod. Turning back, they said "Okay" in unison and put their hands out. Shinji shook them gratefully, and then dragged them both into a bear hug. "Damn, it's good to see you guys again!"

"Back at you, man. Are you really going out with her?"

* * *

"Here you go kiddo." Misato said as she handed over a tissue.

"Thank you." Asuka said as she blew her nose. "What are those idiot stooges talking about in there, anyway?"

"Shinji's just reading them the riot act." Rei answered. "He told me what he was going to do, this morning."

"Heading off trouble before it starts, huh. Smart."

"Well, he _is _an Ikari." Rei shrugged. "Working out alternate, viable scenarios is what we do best."

"Well, as long as he doesn't pick up any of your fathers other unsavoury habits . . . "

Rei chuckled at that. "Don't worry, Misato, neither of us have any desire to destroy the world." She cocked her head in thought. "At least, not right now. Maybe after college?"

Asuka shuddered. "I just got a mental image of you and Shinji, sitting at opposite ends of a _really _big desk in identical command outfits, trying to outglare each other." Imitating the deceased commander badly, she pronounced, "NO, we are going to screw humanity over MY WAY!"

The other women laughed while Rei thought quietly that maybe separating Asuka from Shinji wasn't always a good thing.

* * *

Soon, the boys emerged from Shinji's room and rejoined the girls in the kitchen. Giving Asuka a quick peck, he asked Rei for help in preparing a late lunch for the group. The other two boys sat as far away from the red-head as possible, giving her strange looks from time to time, still trying to figure out what she had done to their friend and if it was reversible.

"Can I help at all?" Hikari offered.

"No, it's fine. We are the hosts." Rei replied.

"You're the guest. Don't worry, we know what we're doing. Just relax." Shinji added.

Hikari shrugged. "I just feel as if I should be helping, that's all."

Asuka piped up. "You wanna help, keep Misato away from the kitchen."

"HEY!"

"Most of her recipes were banned by the second Geneva Convention."

"I resent that implication!"

"And I resent being forced to eat that bio-hazard you call cooking!"

"It's not that bad." Misato said defensively.

"Oh, please! I remember the last time you tried to make muffins. They came out harder than depleted uranium. We could have used them as ammo for the EVA's."

"That's slander!"

"Only if it's a lie." Asuka shuddered as another memory surfaced. "At least we found a use for them. I don't even want to start on that crap you put on our ramen that time. I _never _want to hear Rei scream like that again."

Over at the counter, Rei paled at the memory of that particular meal.

Hikari asked Misato quietly. "Is it true?"

"NO, it is not!" She stated emphatically.

All three pilots turned and stared at her. Under that constant glare, she amended her statement. "Well, maybe."

"So," Shinji said, a bit to loudly, "What's going on out in the real world?"

"Yes, we do not get much news, in here." Rei decided to help her twin change the subject before Asuka and Misato's verbal sparring became physical. Again.

"Not much." Aida put in. "Things are slowly returning to normal after what happened. Governments aren't saying much. People are adjusting. Strangely enough, wars and stuff have dropped down to almost nothing." Pushing his glasses up, he continued. "I guess spending time in everyone else's head helped ram home that we aren't so different from each other, after all."

A large sweatdrop appeared as everyone looked at him, stunned. "What! I can't have a world view?"

"No, we're just surprised that it extends past porn and military hardware." Asuka commented.

Glancing at Shinji, Kensuke bit back a retort and tried to ignore her.

Hikari, seeing that it was starting to get nasty, asked Shinji what he meant before, about Touji's reappearing limbs.

Walking over, he started to put lunch down in the centre of the table. As Rei brought over the rest of the meal, he sat down next to Asuka and began talking. "Well, my theory-" He stopped and looked pointedly at the other pilots, daring them to interrupt.

Getting no takers, he continued, "My theory is that when we came back, we re-appeared as we imagined ourselves."

Getting blank looks from around the table, he tried to elaborate. "What I mean is, our self image governed what we looked like, when we returned. Take Touji for instance. He lost his arm and leg when . . . "Shinji stopped again, unable to complete the statement.

"It's okay, man. I never blamed you for that." Touji offered.

"But it was still my EVA." He said quietly.

Asuka leant over and put an arm around him. "It's all right, baby. Keep going." A kiss on the cheek followed.

He smiled at her and resumed. "My point is, you didn't accept what had happened. You still felt you deserved those limbs. You hadn't adjusted to their loss yet. Right?"

Touji nodded, thoughtful. "Right."

"So when you returned, that self-image, that desire for a whole body, governed the form you returned with."

Everyone thought about the implications.

"Sooo . . . " Kensuke thought about Asuka's scars again, but changed his mind after a glance at Shinji. "You mean I could have come back without needing glasses and built like Jet Li?"

That broke up the table.

"Pretty much, Ken." Shinji managed to get out after he stopped laughing so hard.

"Damn!"

Touji leant over and gave him a noogie. "HAH! Have to think faster next time, dude."

* * *

When they had finished eating, Asuka stood up and began dragging Hikari towards her bedroom. "Coming, Wondergirl?" She asked over her shoulder.

"I will be in shortly, Asuka. I wish to help Shinji clean up first."

"Okay. Don't be long, or you'll miss out on all the juicy gossip!" The door slid shut with a thump. Asuka turned to see her best friend looking at her strangely. "What?"

"Um, since when do you and Rei get along?"

Asuka shrugged. "We came to an understanding after… what happened a few months ago."

"Are you like best friends now, or something?" Hikari asked uncertainly. Asuka noticed this and quickly reassured her.

"Huh? Oh. Nah." She waved her hand in a dismissive motion. "Well… sort of. A few days after we came back, Rei and I had a meeting of minds. We decided that despite what we may think of each other, Shinji won't let either of us go, so we better find a way to get along for his sake. And, since we've all been stuck in this unit together we have found that we have a few more things in common than I originally thought. So Rei and I are just good friends. I only have room for _one _best friend in my life." She finished with a pointed look, as if to say 'you ain't getting rid of me _that _easily, Hikari Hokari'.

Hikari sniffled at that. "Really?" When Asuka nodded, she engulfed the pilot in a rib-cracking hug. "Thank you! It's been so long since we saw each other last. I thought-"

"No, you weren't thinking at all, dummy!" The red-head laughed at the class rep's assumption. "You always stood beside me, no matter what! It meant more to me than I can put into words." She smiled as they separated. "So, while Wondergirl and I are getting along now, and Shinji is my boyfriend, you are still the best friend I will ever have." Hikari stepped back, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Sorry about that." She said, pulling herself together.

"It's okay." Asuka smiled gently. _'Wow, I didn't think I meant that much to her. And I've treated her so poorly in the past. Well, no more!' _She blinked, suddenly noticing the odd gleam in her friend's eye.

"Shinji's you're boyfriend now, huh!" Asuka backed away nervously as Hikari began stalking her. Soon, Asuka was scrunched up against the headboard of her bed with Hikari crouched nearby, blocking off any avenue of escape. "Details! Spill 'em!" A small whimper might have been heard escaping Asuka's lips during the questions Hikari bombarded her with.

* * *

Meanwhile, out in the kitchen, Shinji was busy catching up on what his friends had been getting up to since they were evacuated from Tokyo-3.

"So you all ended up in Tokyo-2?"

"Yup! Ken lives fairly close to the hospital I ended up in, while the class rep is out on the western side. She still came and visited me and my sister a few times a week though." Touji scratched his head in confusion. "Dunno why. It was really out of her way." He noticed they were all looking at him in shock. "What?"

"You really are quite dense, aren't you?" Rei stated from the sink. Both Touji and Kensuke promptly fell out of their chairs, not being used to Rei's new personality. Recovering, the jock asked what she meant by that.

"She likes you." Rei stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it was, for everyone but him.

"Who does?"

Rei rolled her eyes. "Hikari Hokari! The class representative! You know, the girl in the next room with Asuka!" She said sarcastically. "Baka!"

This was news to Touji. "No way!"

"Yes way!"

"The class rep?"

"Uh-huh!"

"_Our _class rep?"

"_Yesssss_!" She hissed in growing frustration.

"Since when?"

Rei threw her hands in the air. "I give up! Someone else have a go!" She turned back to drying dishes.

Kensuke decided to have a crack at it. He had been waiting a long time for someone else to bring the subject up, not quite being brave enough to point it out himself. Nor was he sure he could get his best friend to take him seriously enough to believe him. But now that an impartial observer had done it, he decided to follow through. Turning to his oldest friend, he put his arm on Touji's shoulder and looked him in the eye.

"Touji, Hikari Hokari has had a crush on you since about the third grade. She never said anything about it because she was raised a traditional girl, which means _you _have to make the first move. She just kept doing little things like making you food and keeping you out of as much trouble as she could, hoping you would get the hint and make a play for her. Heck, even Asuka tried to prod her into asking you out because she could see how miserable the whole situation was making her." He rubbed his nose where his glasses rested in frustration. "So, now that you don't have the excuse of not being a 'whole man' any more, do something about it, will you!" He finished with a smack to the side of Touji's head.

The boy in question was stunned. "Really? " Looking to Shinji for final confirmation, he almost choked as the teen nodded affirmative. "Wow!" He scratched the back of his head for a moment. "So, um, like, what should I do now?" Sweatdrops drenched the floor.

Misato recovered first. "Well, first off you should think if you want to date her or not. If you do, great! If you don't, let her down easy. She's been carrying this torch for a _long _time." She draped an arm over his shoulder and led him off to a quiet corner to give him some advice for both contingencies. Aida followed closely, hoping to pick up some tips for dealing with the opposite sex. Plus, it's Misato! Any excuse to be in her presence, y'know!

Shinji and Rei watched them dissapear into the living room.

"Rei, you can head off into Asuka's room if you want. I can finish up here."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive! I think you've given them ample time to reaffirm their friendship." He assured her. She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You knew I was stalling for time?"

Shinji gave her a knowing smile. "Yup! Get in there and have some fun. Remember, she asked you to join them, didn't she." He nudged her away from the sink gently.

"True enough, I suppose." She said softly as she wiped her hands on the towel before draping it over her brother's shoulder.

Rei approached the closed door with some slight nervousness. Despite how close she and Asuka have become these past few months, Hikari knew her first and knew her better. Hoping she wasn't disturbing anything, she knocked lightly. Sounds of a scuffle, followed by heavy footsteps, led to the door flying open and an arm reaching out to quickly drag her inside. When her head stopped spinning, she found herself being used as a human shield by a thoroughly frazzled Asuka against Hikari. _'Wha-?'_

"Make her stop, Wondergirl! She won't leave me alone about Shinji!" The red-head wailed desperately.

"Hey, two of my favourite people have hooked up! Can't blame a girl for wanting some details." The demented grin of an emotionally frustrated class representative could be clearly seen from the opposite side of the room. "Becides, it's not like I'm seeing anyone right now. If the only way I can get romance is vicariously through you, then so be it!" She climbed off the bed and began to advance on Asuka again.

"Actually, that may not be the situation for much longer." Rei stated calmly.

Hikari stopped and looked at her, confused. "Um, what makes you say that, Rei?"

"It was pointed out to Touji less than five minutes ago that you have had a crush on him for a great deal of time. Once that fact finally sunk in, Misato began giving him advice as to what to do about it. So you may find yourself getting some 'romance' sooner than you think." Rei and Asuka gave a remarkably similar snort of disbelief at the thought of Touji being possible of anything remotely romantic.

"Wait a minute. That stooge is getting advice about dating from Misato?!"

"Apparently." Rei replied dryly.

"Oh great! The drunk leading the clueless." Asuka shuddered at the thought.

"Maybe. But considering how she has had her heart broken in the past, it might actually be a good thing for Misato to tell him what to avoid doing."

"He knows?" Both girls turned their attention back to Hikari, who was now sitting awkwardly on the side of the bed. "He knows how I feel about him?"

"Seems like!" Asuka walked over and sat beside her, motioning for Rei to do the same. _'Here we go. Right on schedule. Panic attack in 3. 2. 1.' _She sighed, having been through this before.

"Oh my God! What do I do? What should I do?" Hikari began hyperventilating at the thought of her secret desire being made reality.

"First of all, relax! He hasn't even asked you out yet. And when he does, take it slow. There's no need to rush into anything at our age." Asuka advised sagely.

Hikari focused on her words. "Does that mean you and Shinji-?"

Asuka shook her head. "Just kissing and a bit of touching, that's all. We talked about it and decided to wait until we're a bit older. Plus, a bit of privacy won't hurt either."

"What do you mean?"

Rei answered. "This unit is constantly monitored by Section-2 and the U.N.." They both frowned. "Our privacy is somewhat limited until this inquiry is concluded."

Now Hikari was really confused. She knew that both girls valued their space. "So why put up with it?"

"It was either this, or be separated from Misato. And despite how we tease her, she is the closest thing to a mother we have left. Especially for Shinji." Both pilots sighed deeply, trying not to think about how much truth was in that statement.

"Oh!" Sensing the mood starting to take a nose-dive, Hikari cast about desperately for another topic. "Um, so if you're stuck in here all day, what do you do with your time?"

Asuka brightened. "Heh. The wonder twins get tutored by a guy Misato arranged to come in four days a week." She stuck her tongue out at Rei, who scowled back. "Since a genius college graduate like _moi _is beyond such trivialities, I get time to myself to consentrate on more important things." She preened.

"Yeah, like improving your Kanji beyond the level of 'chicken scratch'." Rei sniggered.

"HEY! At least I don't need help getting my homework done." Asuka retorted.

"You're saying that to the wrong Ikari, girlfriend!" She giggled as a thought surfaced. "Although I think Shinji fakes it just so he can get some personalised tutoring from you."

"What do you mean, Rei?" Hikari interjected.

Rei smirked. "Remind me to tell you about how Asuka demonstrates 'thermal expansion' sometime. It's a real eye opener!"

Asuka went bright scarlet as Hikari put two and two together. "SHUT-UP, REI!"

* * *

With the last dish dried and put away, Shinji walked in to the living room to find that Misato, as usual, had gotten carried away with her objective of making sure that Touji treated Hikari right, and had moved on from ideas for a first date to various positions and techniques she might enjoy him employing if the opportunity arose. Needless to say, this was a bit much for such tender young minds to absorb.

Handing Touji and Kensuke a box of tissues for their nosebleeds, he asked his guardian how much longer their friends would be able to stay this afternoon.

"What? Oh." She looked at her watch. "Shit! Less than half an hour." She looked appologetic at his shocked expression. "I was only able to get permission for a few hours today. But, I was also able to get them to agree to letting Kensuke, Touji and Hikari return once every couple of weeks." Misato smiled as Shinji's face lit up as he heard that. "So you will see them again soon. I promise."

"That's awesome! Thanks, Misato!" He cried ecstatically as he hugged her. Upon seeing her return the embrace, Touji and Kensuke promptly had the same jealous thought. _'I wanna be Shinji!'_

Letting her go, he walked over to Asuka's room and knocked. Receiving permission, he entered to tell the girls about the looming time limit to the visit. Before Asuka could protest, he added the bit about how they would be able to come back regularly, if they wanted to. The pilots looked at Hikari expectantly.

"_Of course _I want to see you guys again. Just as long as I get a bit of advanced warning. Getting picked up off the street and whisked away with no explanation is a little frightening."

Misato heard this and agreed. Needless to say, both boys said they were coming back without hesitation.

"Gotta make sure the devil-girl don't get her talons too deeply into our friend, y'know." Touji added unwisely. Kensuke shook his head in resignation at his friends impending doom and stepped away quickly as Hikari and Asuka flew out of the room towards the offending stooge. Grabbing an ear each, they attempted to peel him like a pink, squealing banana.

Separating them, Misato herded the teens towards the exit to say their good-byes. Kensuke and Touji got a handshake from Shinji and Rei, but only a raspberry from Asuka. They duly gave her the finger in response. Hikari hugged all three pilots, promising to let all their school friends know that they were alive and alright. The last thing she heard as the door slid shut was Asuka saying "Now, where were we?" to Shinji while Rei whispered something about "Insatiable perverts!" under her breath.

The elevator ride was quiet, with the teens lost in thoughts about their friends upstairs. Touji decided to stay silent while going through the security check this time. This may have had something to do with some of the guards gesturing at him with twitching fingers during the brief pat down. Stepping towards the waiting limo, the boys were disappointed that the Major didn't hug them, but settled for a wave instead. Getting in, she assured them they would have ample warning for the next visit. "Buh-bye!"

As the limo pulled away from the hotel, they looked at each other, trying to find the words to describe how their friends had changed in the time since they saw them last.

"They've grown up, but their also more normal and happy." Hikari finally said. The other two nodded.

"Yeah, but I still can't believe Shinji's dating that bit- _ouch_!" Touji yelped as his ear was twisted beyond the limits of human endurance yet again.

Some people never learn.

* * *

_True to her word, Misato was able to give them advanced notice before they were picked up each time. Every two or three weeks they would return to visit the pilots, a pattern which continued for the rest of the seven month investigation. Touji behaved himself during subsequent security checks. He also began to take a more active interest in Hikari, even going as far as to call her by her given name instead of just 'class-rep' in front of the others. Noticing this, Rei soon began feeling a bit left out. It was hard not to be, considering the way Asuka and Shinji kept latching onto each other at regular intervals. Even Misato was beginning to get antsy with all the pheromones floating around! So, under Asuka's tutelage, Rei carefully began to flirt with Kensuke with the stated intention of 'merely gathering some raw data for the real thing later'. After being sprung by a wide-eyed Shinji a few visits later, Asuka dryly inquired as to how much more 'raw data' Rei needed to gather before she had enough, or should they just chuck a packet of rubbers in with them and lock the door._

_Eventually, the investigation concluded._

_Seeing as the rest of the principals involved were no longer alive, Fuyutski was held responsible and indicted on several charges of conspiring to commit genocide on the human race. Misato was cleared of any involvement in what happened and retained the rank of Major. She also retained guardianship of the pilots. NERV was allowed to continue to exist, but it's new mandate was the study of what changes Third Impact had wrought on humanity. It would retain the use of the facilities in Tokyo-3, as well as the other surviving bases around the world, but would no longer be the influential powerhouse it had been under SEELE's control. Tokyo-3 itself was to be abandoned and left as a monument to the folly of tampering with powers beyond human understanding. Besides, no-one was particularly interested in moving back. Bad vibes permeated the city to a suffocating degree. Misato was left in charge of NERV until a new Commander could be found. As they wished to stay with Misato while she fulfilled her duties as interim commander, Shinji and Rei continued their schooling with the tutor, while Asuka investigated the possibility of doing another college degree via distance education. While the physical visits by their friends became more infrequent, they kept in contact with them by other means. Slowly, things began to settle down. _

_For a while. _

* * *

_--FIN-- _(for real this time)

Notes: Yup! That's it for this story. Finally! As I mentioned before, I am going to take a break before continuing part two of this. Expect it to begin to appear some time in '07. One thing I've found in the course of writing this is that I fret about getting the chapters out within a reasonable timespan. (This is supposed to be a source of enjoyment, not a reason to worry!) So I'm going to try and write most of it before I begin posting. The same for my other ideas. While I apologise for what will be a long delay in getting back to this, I feel that by taking my time and (Hopefully) getting it right, the quality won't suffer. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this last chapter. 'till next time! T


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